Literary notes about hint (AI summary)
In literature, the word "hint" functions as a tool for subtly conveying information without stating it outright. Authors use it to signal delicate suggestions, whether in dialogue or narrative detail. For instance, a character might offer a whisper of hope through her tone [1] or a momentary gesture may imply the need to act without overt instruction [2]. The term is deployed to reveal veiled intentions or to foreshadow events, as when a minor nuance in behavior lends weight to larger, unstated ideas [3][4]. Across genres, this understated device not only enriches character interactions but also invites readers to delve deeper into the text to uncover hidden meanings [5][6][7].
- She talked to M. de Grimaldi in a way that seemed to hint she was willing to give a little hope.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova - Taking the hint, we got up and went down to the stream to wash, after which the morning meal was served.
— from She by H. Rider Haggard - I am very glad to see you,” she said, but there was something in her manner that a shrewd observer would have taken as a hint to depart.
— from Father Goriot by Honoré de Balzac - All I wanted was a hint to guide me in the right direction at starting.
— from The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins - Though delivered in the mildest language this hint was too plain to be mistaken.
— from The Monk: A Romance by M. G. Lewis - On this hint, attempts have been made to construct elaborate migratory charts of the sperm whale.
— from Moby Dick; Or, The Whale by Herman Melville - ‘I never received the most distant hint of such an intention.’
— from The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
