Intimate

• POS: Adjective, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: in=ti=mate

CIDE DICTIONARY

Intimate, a. [Formerly intime, L. intimus, a superl. corresponding to the compar. interior: cf. F. intime. The form intimate is due to confusion with intimate, v. t. See Interior.].

•  Innermost; inward; internal; deep-seated; hearty.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]
•  Near; close; direct; thorough; complete.  [1913 Webster]

  "He was honored with an intimate and immediate admission."  [1913 Webster]
•  Close in friendship or acquaintance; familiar; confidential; as, an intimate friend.

Syn. -- Familiar; near; friendly; confidential.

Intimate, n. 

 An intimate friend or associate; a confidant.  Gov. of the Tongue.  [1913 Webster]

Intimate, v. t. [L. intimatus, p. p. of intimare to put, bring, drive, or press into, to announce, make known, from intimus the inmost. See Intimate, a.].

•  To announce; to declare; to publish; to communicate; to make known.  [1913 Webster]

  "He, incontinent, did proclaim and intimate open war."  [1913 Webster]

  "So both conspiring 'gan to intimate
  Each other's grief."  [1913 Webster]
•  To suggest obscurely or indirectly; to refer to remotely; to give slight notice of; to hint; as, he intimated his intention of resigning his office.  [1913 Webster]

  "The names of simple ideas and substances, with the abstract ideas in the mind, intimate some real existence, from which was derived their original pattern."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Intimate, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 closely acquainted; familiar, close (an intimate friend; an intimate relationship).
2 private and personal (intimate thoughts).
3 (usu. foll. by with) having sexual relations.
4 (of knowledge) detailed, thorough.
5 (of a relationship between things) close.
6 (of mixing etc.) thorough.
7 essential, intrinsic.
8 (of a place etc.) friendly; promoting close personal relationships.
--n. a very close friend.

Derivative

intimately adv.

Intimate, v.tr.
1 (often foll. by that + clause) state or make known.
2 imply, hint.

Derivative

intimater n. intimation n.

Etymology

LL intimare announce f. L intimus inmost

THESAURUS

Intimate

absolute, acquaintance, acquainted with, adumbrate, advocate, affectionate, allegorize, allied, allude to, alter ego, amigo, anonymous, approaching, approximate, approximating, arm-in-arm, assembled, associate, associated, assume, at home in, at home with, attest, backer, banded together, bespeak, best friend, betoken, bosom, bosom friend, bound, bracketed, bring to mind, brother, buddy, buddy-buddy, burning, carnal, casual acquaintance, caution, central, certain, chatty, cheek-by-jowl, cheerful, cherished, chum, chummy, close, close acquaintance, close friend, closet, colleague, collected, comfortable, comfy, communicate, companion, comrade, concrete, confidant, confidante, confident, confidential, confrere, conjoined, connected, connote, conversant with, copulate, cosy, coupled, cozy, crony, dear, deep, deep-seated, defined, definite, detailed, determinate, devoted, different, distinct, distinguished, drop a hint, elemental, entail, esoteric, especial, essential, exceptional, exhaustive, express, extraordinary, familiar, familiar with, favorer, fellow, fellow creature, fellowman, fixed, fond, friend, friendly, gathered, give a hint, give the cue, glance at, hand and glove, hand-in-glove, hand-in-hand, hidden, hint, hint at, homelike, homely, homey, homish, hot, implicate, imply, import, inborn, inbred, incognito, incorporated, indicate, individual, indoor, indwelling, infer, informal, informed in, ingrained, inmost, innate, inner, innermost, inseparable, inseparable friend, inside, insinuate, integrated, interior, internal, intestine, intimate with, intrinsic, involve, inward, isolated, joined, knotted, leagued, linked, lover, loving, make known, master of, matched, mate, mated, mean, mean to say, merged, minute, mucker, near, near the mark, nearest, nearing, nearish, neighbor, next, nigh, nighish, noteworthy, other self, paired, pal, pally, palsy-walsy, particular, partisan, peaceful, penetrating, personal, pickup, plain, point indirectly to, precise, presume, presuppose, private, privy, proficient in, profound, prompt, propinque, proximal, proximate, refer to, repository, respective, retired, secluded, secret, sequestered, several, sexual, side-by-side, sidekick, simple, singular, snug, solipsistic, special, specific, spliced, strong in, suggest, supporter, suppose, sympathizer, take for granted, tete-a-tete, thick, thick as thieves, thorough, tied, tip off, undivided, united, unpretending, unseparated, up on, versed in, vicinal, warm, warn, wedded, well-read in, well-wisher, withdrawn, yoked

ROGET THESAURUS

Intimate

Nearness

N nearness, proximity, propinquity, vicinity, vicinage, neighborhood, adjacency, contiguity, short distance, short step, short cut, earshot, close quarters, stone's throw, bow shot, gun shot, pistol shot, hair's breadth, span, purlieus, neighborhood, vicinage, environs, alentours, suburbs, confines, banlieue, borderland, whereabouts, bystander, neighbor, borderer, approach, convergence, perihelion, near, nigh, close at hand, near at hand, close, neighboring, bordering upon, contiguous, adjacent, adjoining, proximate, proximal, at hand, handy, near the mark, near run, home, intimate, near, nigh, hard by, fast by, close to, close upon, hard upon, at the point of, next door to, within reach, within call, within hearing, within earshot, within an ace of, but a step, not far from, at no great distance, on the verge of, on the brink of, on the skirts of, in the environs, at one's door, at one's feet, at one's elbow, at one's finger's end, at one's side, on the tip of one's tongue, under one's nose, within a stone's throw, in sight of, in presence of, at close quarters, cheek by jole, cheek by jowl, beside, alongside, side by side, tete-a-tete, in juxtaposition, yardarm to yardarm, at the heels of, on the confines of, at the threshold, bordering upon, verging to, in the way, about, hereabouts, thereabouts, roughly, in round numbers, approximately, approximatively, as good as, well-nigh.

Friendship

N friendship, amity, friendliness, brotherhood, fraternity, sodality, confraternity, harmony, peace, firm friendship, staunch friendship, intimate friendship, familiar friendship, bosom friendship, cordial friendship, tried friendship, devoted friendship, lasting friendship, fast friendship, sincere friendship, warm friendship, ardent friendship, cordiality, fraternization, entente cordiale, good understanding, rapprochement, sympathy, fellow-feeling, response, welcomeness, affection, favoritism, good will, acquaintance, familiarity, intimacy, intercourse, fellowship, knowledge of, introduction, friendly, amicable, amical, well-affected, unhostile, neighborly, brotherly, fraternal, sympathetic, harmonious, hearty, cordial, warm- hearted, friends with, well with, at home with, hand in hand with, on good terms, on friendly terms, on amicable terms, on cordial terms, on familiar terms, on intimate terms, on good footing, on speaking terms, on visiting terms, in one's good graces, in one's good books, acquainted, familiar, intimate, thick, hand and glove, hail fellow well met, free and easy, welcome, amicably, with open arms, sans ceremonie, arm in arm, amicitia semper prodest, a mystic bond of brotherhood makes all men one, friendship is love without either flowers or veil, trulgus amicitias utilitate probat.

Friend

N friend, friend of one's bosom, alter ego, best friend, bosom friend, soulmate, fast friend, amicus, usque ad aras, fidus Achates, persona grata, acquaintance, neighbor, next-door neighbor, casual acquaintance, nodding acquaintance, wellwisher, favorer, fautor, patron, Mecaenas, tutelary saint, good genius, advocate, partisan, sympathizer, ally, friend in need, comrade, mate, companion, familiar, confrere, comrade, camarade, confidante, intimate, old crony, crony, chum, pal, buddy, bosom buddy, playfellow, playmate, childhood friend, bedfellow, bedmate, chamber fellow, associate, colleague, compeer, schoolmate, schoolfellow, classfellow, classman, classmate, roommate, fellow-man, stable companion, best man, maid of honor, matron of honor, compatriot, fellow countryman, countryman, shopmate, fellow-worker, shipmate, messmate, fellow companion, boon companion, pot companion, copartner, partner, senior partner, junior partner, Arcades ambo Pylades and Orestes Castor and Pollux, Nisus and Euryalus, Damon and Pythias, par nobile fratrum, host, Amphitryon, Boniface, guest, visitor, prot_eg_e, amici probantur rebus adversis, ohne bruder kann man leben nicht ohne Freund, best friend, my well-spring in the wilderness, conocidos muchos amigos pocos, friend more divine than all divinities, vida sin amigo muerte sin testigo.

Information

VB tell, inform, inform of, acquaint, acquaint with, impart, impart to, make acquaintance with, apprise, advise, enlighten, awaken, transmit, let fall, mention, express, intimate, represent, communicate, make known, publish, notify, signify, specify, convey the knowledge of, let one know, have one to know, give one to understand, give notice, set before, lay before, put before, point out, put into one's head, put one in possession of, instruct, direct the attention to, announce, annunciate, report, report progress, bringword, send word, leave word, write word, telegraph, telephone, wire, retail, render an account, give an account, state, let slip, blurt out, spill the beans, unburden oneself of, let off one's chest, disclose, show cause, explain, hint, given an inkling of, give a hint, drop a hint, throw out a hint, insinuate, allude to, make allusion to, glance at, tip the wink, suggest, prompt, give the cue, breathe, whisper, whisper in the ear, give a bit of one's mind, tell one plainly, tell once for all, speak volumes, undeceive, unbeguile, set right, correct, open the eyes of, disabuse, disillusion one of, be informed of, know, learn, get scent of, get wind of, gather from, awaken to, open one's eyes to, become alive, become awake to, hear, overhear, understand, come to one's ears, come to one's knowledge, reach one's ears.