Imitated means copied a sound, action, or style. Intimated means hinted at something or made it known indirectly. It is more formal than hinted.
Decide whether someone copied or hinted
- Imitated. The student imitated the drummer’s rhythm by tapping a pencil on the desk. The student copied the sound pattern.
- Intimated. The conductor intimated that the concert might end early. The conductor hinted at a change without announcing one directly.
Read the words that follow the verb
Imitated often takes the sound, action, or person being copied as its direct object. Intimated often introduces a that clause that tells what was hinted.
If the sense is hinted, see Imply vs. Infer for the difference between suggesting something and drawing a conclusion from the suggestion.
