intimate means closely acquainted; familiar. It carries an Arena rating of 1657, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, intimate ranks #100 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #6,263 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words, #7,476 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words, #8,559 of 17,131 for Scariest Words.
intimate is pronounced /ˈɪn.tɪ.mət/.
Why “intimate” is a great word
Marked by a profound inwardness and a deep-seated, mutual familiarity that transcends mere acquaintance. From Latin *intimatus*, past participle of *intimare* ("to put or bring into, to impress, to make familiar"), from *intimus* ("inmost, innermost, most intimate"), the superlative of *intus* ("within"). Unlike "familiar" (which suggests a casual, long-standing knowledge) or "personal" (which broadly concerns a private individual), "intimate" implies a shared, profound secrecy of the self. It is the unspoken language of a glance across a crowded room, the trusted silence between two people reading in lamplight, or the worn comfort of a garment worn next to the skin—the quiet revelation of an interior world to another, where the door closes behind you and you do not knock to leave.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin intimātus, the perfect passive participle of intimō (“to put or bring into, to impress, to make familiar”) (see -ate (adjective forming suffix)), from intimus (“inmost, innermost, most intimate”), superlative of intus (“within”), from in (“in”); see interior.
adj
- Closely acquainted; familiar.e.g.“an intimate friend”
- Personal; private.e.g.“an intimate setting”
- Pertaining to sex organs or underwear.e.g.“Intimate apparel departments have separate sections for bras and panties; within those sections, our intimate apparel firm would have its bras displayed separately from its panties.” — 2017 [2014], Elizabeth K. Briody, Ken C. Erickson, “Success despite the silos: System-wide innovation and collaboration”, in Maryann McCabe, editor, Collaborative Ethnography in Business Environments,
- Pertaining to sexual acts or a sexual relationship.e.g.“She enjoyed some intimate time alone with her husband.”
- Pertaining to details that require great familiarity to know.e.g.“The candidate showed an intimate knowledge of the inner workings of politics.”
- Very finely mixed.e.g.“Black powder consists of an intimate mixture of potassium nitrate, charcoal, and sulfur.”
noun
- A very close friend.e.g.“Only a couple of intimates had ever read his writing.”
- Women's underwear, sleepwear, or lingerie, especially offered for sale in a store.e.g.“You'll find bras and panties in the intimates section upstairs.”
verb
- To suggest or disclose (something) discreetly.e.g.“He intimated that we should leave before the argument escalated.”
- To notify.e.g.“I will intimate you when the details are available.”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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