暗示 means 'to imply' or 'to hint'—it describes the act of conveying a message indirectly, without stating it outright. The character 暗 (àn) means 'dark' or 'hidden', suggesting something concealed or not obvious, while 示 (shì) means 'to show' or 'to indicate'. Together, they form a verb meaning 'to show something hidden'—that is, to suggest something subtly, often through tone, context, body language, or carefully chosen words. It’s commonly used in interpersonal communication, literature, psychology, and everyday conversation when people avoid direct statements due to politeness, tact, or ambiguity.

This word carries a neutral-to-slightly-formal register and often implies intentionality: the speaker chooses indirectness for a reason—such as sparing someone’s feelings, testing a reaction, or maintaining plausible deniability. Unlike blunt statements, 暗示 relies on the listener’s ability to read between the lines, making it culturally significant in Chinese communication where indirectness is frequently valued.