What does implying mean?
Implying is the present participle and gerund of imply, and it usually means suggesting a meaning, attitude, or conclusion without stating it directly. A speaker who says, “The walls need painting,” may be implying that the space is neglected; a raised eyebrow may imply doubt. The word can also have the stronger logical sense of entailing a proposition: one statement implies another if the second must be true whenever the first is true. In everyday conversation, “implying” often carries a slightly critical or suspicious edge, suggesting that someone is hinting rather than speaking plainly. It is therefore useful in reports, analysis, and discussion precisely because it identifies meaning that remains unstated, while in formal logic it marks a necessary consequence. The word belongs to a productive family that includes imply, implied, implies, implication, implicit, and implicate, reflecting a history of turning the idea of physical entanglement into ideas of meaning and inference.
To suggest, indicate, or communicate a meaning indirectly; formally, to entail that something is true.
"The wording was careful enough to avoid explicitly rejecting the proposal while still implying that it was unacceptable."
The verb form can function as a present participle in a continuous construction or as a gerund naming the activity.
Tending or serving to imply; suggestive or indirect.
"His implying tone made it clear that he did not believe her explanation."
This adjectival use is less common than the verb and participial uses.
The Latin ancestor of imply literally meant “to wrap up” or “entangle,” before its meaning developed into suggestion and inference.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does implying come from?
Imply comes from Latin implicāre, formed from the prefix in- and plicāre, meaning “to fold,” and originally meant “to wrap up” or “entangle.” English adopted the word during the early modern period, with implication developing both figurative meanings and a technical role in logic. The same root also produced words such as implicate, implicit, and implication.
Related word forms
How implying is actually used
In everyday English, implying often suggests indirectness and can carry a critical tone, as when a speaker is thought to be avoiding a direct statement. In formal logic, implying is stronger and means that a proposition necessarily follows from another proposition.
Easily confused with implying
Implying communicates or suggests a meaning, often indirectly; implicating means involving someone in an act, question, or entanglement.