1.hint的基本意思是用间接方式表达思想,即“暗示”,可指暗中地或间接地建议,也可指缺少直率、坦白或直截了当地建议。用作不及物动词时,其后常接介词at, about或of; 用作及物动词时,可以名词或代词作宾语,也可接that从句。
2.hint常可接to,表示向某人暗示某事。

hint at〔about〕(v.+prep.)
暗示某事 suggest or mention indirectly to (sth)
▲hint at〔about〕 sth/v-ing
What on earth are you hinting at?你到底在暗示什么?
I hinted at his imprudence.我曾暗示他的不谨慎。
Again and again she hinted about the intention of her visit to me.她反复向我暗示她来访的意图。
He hinted at the impossibility of winding up the work in two months.他暗示要在两个月内结束这项工作是不可能的。
He hinted at having won a great deal of money.他暗示已经赢了很多钱。

用作及物动词
▲S+～+n./pron.
He hinted nothing of his intentions.他没有暗示他的用意。
He hinted his dissatisfaction with her work.他暗示了对她工作的不满。
▲S+～+that-clause
I hinted that she should go.我暗示她必须去。
He hinted that things were not going well.他暗示事情正在变糟。
She hinted that it was time we left.她暗示我们该走了。
They hinted that they had lost a great deal of money.他们暗示丢了一大笔钱。
▲S+～+to pron./n.+n./that-clause
He hinted to me nothing of his intentions.他一点也没有向我暗示他的意图。
They hinted to us that they would take our suggestion.他们向我们暗示说,他们将采纳我们的建议。
Why don't you hint to the director that it's time you had a rise in pay?你为何不暗示厂长现在你该提薪了?

hint, intimate, suggest
参见suggest条。

He gave me a hint that I was being cheated.他暗示我在受人欺骗。
There's a subtle hint of garlic in the sauce.调味汁里稍微有一点蒜味。
This list of hints help the new students a lot.这一系列的建议对新生帮助很大。

［同义词］   bit, notion, suggestion
［反义词］   announce, declare