- to express or indicate by a hint; suggest
- to suggest or involve as a necessary consequence
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
im•ply /ɪmˈplaɪ/USA pronunciation
v., -plied, -ply•ing.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to indicate or suggest (something) without its being stated in words: [~ + object]His actions implied a lack of faith.[~ + (that) clause]The doctor's frown implied that something was wrong.
- to involve as a necessary circumstance;
presuppose:[~ + object]A fair trial implies a jury that is not biased.
im•ply
(im plī′),USA pronunciation v.t., -plied, -ply•ing.
- to indicate or suggest without being explicitly stated:His words implied a lack of faith.
- (of words) to signify or mean.
- to involve as a necessary circumstance:Speech implies a speaker.
- [Obs.]to enfold.
- Latin implicāre; see implicate
- Middle French emplier
- Middle English implien, emplien 1325–75
- 3. assume, include.
- See infer.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
imply /ɪmˈplaɪ/ vb ( -plies, -plying, -plied) (transitive; may take a clause as object)
'imply' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
connote
- hint
- implicate
- incriminate
- indicate
- infer
- irony
- lorry
- metaphor
- predicate
- presuppose
- purport
- signify
- suppose
- acquiescence
- action
- active
- acute
- adjust
- advance
- agitation
- aim
- alert
- allegory
- allow
- alone
- and
- and/or
- anger
- appease
- appreciate
- apprehension
- argue
- argument
- attribute
- avenge
- because
- bend
- blame
- blankety-blank
- boast
- bother
- bring
- busy
- buy
- call
- calm
- careful
- carry
- catch