Innuendo
/ˌɪn.juˈen.doʊ/noun
An indirect or suggestive remark, often implying something negative without stating it openly.
Did you know?In English, *innuendo* first entered as a legal term for an explanatory phrase in a defamation case, before it evolved into the sly, suggestive meaning we use today.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
innuendo
“by hinting; by making a nod or indirect reference”
14th–15th Century
English
innuendo
“a phrase used in legal explanation, especially in libel and defamation cases”
17th Century
English
innuendo
“an indirect remark or insinuation”
Modern English
English
innuendo
“a suggestive or derogatory hint, especially one that is sly or veiled”