Translation

suggest / hint at / indicate without saying directly

Meaning

Imply means to SUGGEST something without saying it directly — to hint at it. The SPEAKER/WRITER does the implying. 'He didn't say I was wrong, but he implied it.' (he hinted at it) 'Are you implying that I'm lying?' (suggesting indirectly?) 'The data implies a strong correlation.' (suggests, indicates) CRITICAL DISTINCTION (the most-confused verb pair in English): Imply = the speaker hints at a meaning (sender) Infer = the listener draws a conclusion from what was hinted (receiver) 'She implied that she was unhappy. I inferred that she wanted to leave.'

Examples

• 彼女はその仕事に興味があることをほのめかした。
  She implied that she was interested in the job.
• そのデータは何を示唆していますか？
  What does the data imply?