Meaning & use
intuitive inkling
Last updated
Meanings
phrasecountable
A slight, uncertain feeling or hint about something, based on instinct rather than clear evidence.
Grammar: Countable; usually used with 'have' or 'get' and an article: 'I had an intuitive inkling that something was wrong.'
Patterns
- have an intuitive inkling
- get an intuitive inkling
- an intuitive inkling that ...
- an intuitive inkling about something
She had an intuitive inkling that the meeting would be cancelled, even before the email arrived.
I got an intuitive inkling that he was hiding something, though I couldn't explain why.
His intuitive inkling about the market turned out to be right, but he had no data to support it.
phrasecountable
A faint, instinctive understanding or suspicion that something is true.
Grammar: Often used in negative sentences to show lack of knowledge: 'I haven't the slightest intuitive inkling.'
Patterns
- have no intuitive inkling
- not have the slightest intuitive inkling
- an intuitive inkling of something
I don't have the slightest intuitive inkling about how to fix this engine.
He had no intuitive inkling that she was planning to leave.
Do you have any intuitive inkling of what the final decision will be?
Common combinations
- have an intuitive inkling
- I have an intuitive inkling that she'll say yes.
- get an intuitive inkling
- He got an intuitive inkling that the deal would fall through.
- an intuitive inkling about
- She had an intuitive inkling about the problem before anyone explained it.
- no intuitive inkling
- I had no intuitive inkling that they were related.
- the slightest intuitive inkling
- He didn't have the slightest intuitive inkling of what was coming.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hunch
- A hunch is a stronger, more definite feeling than an intuitive inkling, and is more common in everyday speech.
- suspicion
- A suspicion often implies you think something is wrong or dishonest, while an intuitive inkling is more neutral and vague.
- feeling
- Feeling is a general word for any emotion or sensation; an intuitive inkling specifically suggests a faint, instinct-based guess.
Commonly confused: intuitive inkling or intuition?
intuitive inkling vs intuition
Intuition is the general ability to know something without proof; an intuitive inkling is a single faint instance of that feeling.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'intuitive inkling' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 uses the phrase correctly with 'that' to introduce a vague feeling about a future event. Option 1 is wrong because 'an inkling for' is not used to mean a talent or skill. Option 2 is wrong because 'an inkling to' does not express a decision or ambition. Option 3 is wrong because 'an inkling of' does not mean physical perception of an object.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “intuitive inkling”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.