intimate | meaning of intimate in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (2024)

From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishintimatein‧ti‧mate1 /ˈɪntəmət/ ●○○ adjective 1 restaurant/meal/placeFRIENDLY private and friendly so that you feel comfortable the intimate atmosphere of a country pub an intimate meal for two The collection has been moved from its intimate setting to the British Museum.2 friendsFRIEND having an extremely close friendship an intimate friend of Picasso’s an intimate relationship She’s on intimate terms with people in government. 3 → intimate knowledge of something4 privatePRIVATE/PERSONAL relating to very private or personal matters the publication of intimate details of their affair► see thesaurus at private5 sex formal a) SEX/HAVE SEX WITHrelating to sex The virus can only be transmitted through intimate contact. b) be intimate with somebodySEX/HAVE SEX WITH to have sex with someone6 → intimate link/connection etc —intimately adverb The two aspects are intimately connected. I am intimately acquainted with the state of my bank account.Examples from the Corpusintimate• Minna, she and I are not intimate.• intimate apparel• I saw that Brian was having an intimate conversation with an attractive young woman, and so I left quietly.• Some of the author's intimate correspondence was published after her death.• She was asked about the most intimate details of her life.• You do not expect to see the most intimate details of your marriage splashed across the pages of the newspapers.• Gramm lately has attempted to soften his image, holding a series of intimate discussions with undecided voters in their kitchens.• These important nuances are often recognised only after a long and intimate experience of the couple under study.• He knew Monet as an associate, if not an intimate friend.• Close and intimate friendships are characterised by commitment and vulnerability.• Communities are overcrowded, with public facilities more often aimed at impersonal masses rather than stimulating intimate interaction.• Now they are talking intimate possibilities, so I slipped away.• The only long-term, intimate relationships that Ally McBeal could have are with the mirror or the camera.• Dinner was served in an intimate room with just two other tables.• They held hands, walked along the beach, and shared intimate secrets.• Some people see nothing wrong with appearing on a TV show, and revealing their most intimate thoughts. intimate setting• Simple division Being able to divide a living/dining room into two distinct areas means you can easily create an intimate setting.• Shielded by shadows, away from the world, in a safe and intimate setting, it is possible to talk.• The luxurious dress, ornate chair and intimate setting reflect the rococo spirit of the period. on intimate terms with• He quarrelled with Rousseau after being on intimate terms with him, but then everybody did.intimate details• Mike was thoroughly embarrassed at having exposed intimate details of his life, but his classmates rallied around him.• They shared no intimate details of their lives with each other.intimatein‧ti‧mate2 /ˈɪntɪmeɪt/ verb [transitive] formal TELLto make people understand what you mean without saying it directlyintimate that He intimated, politely but firmly, that we were not welcome.intimate something to somebody She had already intimated to me her wish to leave. → See Verb tableExamples from the Corpusintimate• This was not the first time his parents had intimated that they thought Fred only ordinarily able.• To remain, Hennepin intimated, was to court deafness.• I scanned the window for some new detail that would intimate we were getting closer to Moscow.intimate that• Cuevas intimated that a compromise might be reached soon.• Cuevas also intimated that a monetary settlement might be obtained from Texas in exchange for acknowledging her freedom.• It was always intimated that he led kind of a wild life.• He even intimated that they had tried to corrupt him by sending female temptresses to seduce him in his Cambridge rooms.• This was not the first time his parents had intimated that they thought Fred only ordinarily able.intimatein‧ti‧mate3 /ˈɪntəmət/ noun [countable] formal FRIENDa close personal friendExamples from the Corpusintimate• He had impressed Presidents and made himself an intimate of the great.• Marriage is a coming together for better or for worse, hopefully enduring, and intimate to the degree of being sacred.• We reserve the last 18 inches around our bodies for intimates.• His principles are so vague that even his intimates seem unable to put them into words.• Some of his intimates were seriously concerned with his health.• Saint-Gaudens and joseph jefferson were their intimates, Whitman had visited their studio.• The two were intimates within fifteen minutes.Origin intimate1 (1600-1700) intime “intimate” ((1600-1700)), from Latin intimus; →INTIMATE2 intimate2 (1500-1600) Late Latin past participle of intimare “to put in, announce”, from Latin intimus “furthest inside”, from an unrecorded Latin interus; →INTERIOR2