Imitated vs Intimated

Imitated vs intimated is a pair that trips up many writers because the two verbs look similar but mean very different things. Imitated (verb, past tense) means copied or mimicked, while intimated (verb, past tense) means hinted or suggested indirectly. In the sentence “She imitated the teacher,” She is a pronoun (subject), imitated is a verb in the past tense, the is an article, and teacher is a noun; subject–verb agreement is correct because imitated matches the singular subject She.

Knowing the parts of speech helps you pick the right word and keep sentences clear. Use imitated when you want to express copying, and use intimated when you mean suggesting quietly or indirectly; check verb tense, place modifiers properly, and avoid fragments or run-ons as you write examples and corrections below.

Contextual Examples

Simple Sentences Showing Meaning

Sentence: “He imitated her laugh.”

Parts of speech: He (pronoun, subject), imitated (verb, past tense), her (possessive pronoun modifying laugh), laugh (noun, object).
Verb check: imitated correctly shows past action and agrees with singular subject He. Meaning: he copied her laugh.

Sentence: “She intimated her concerns gently.”

Parts of speech: She (pronoun), intimated (verb, past tense), her (possessive pronoun), concerns (noun, plural), gently (adverb modifying the verb).
Verb check: intimated is past tense and agrees with She; concerns is the plural object of intimated. Meaning: she hinted at or suggested concerns without stating them directly.

Complex Sentences With Clauses

Sentence: “The child imitated what he saw on TV, which amused the parents.”

Parts of speech: The (article), child (noun), imitated (verb, past), what (relative pronoun), he (pronoun), saw (verb, past), on (preposition), TV (noun), which (relative pronoun), amused (verb, past), the (article), parents (noun).
Verb checks: imitated, saw, and amused are all in past tense and agree with their respective subjects. The sentence avoids fragments and places modifiers clearly.

Sentence: “During the meeting, she intimated that changes were needed but did not name specifics.”

Parts of speech: During (preposition), the (article), meeting (noun), she (pronoun), intimated (verb, past), that (conjunction introducing clause), changes (noun), were (verb, past plural), needed (adjective/past participle), but (conjunction), did (auxiliary past), not (adverb), name (verb base after auxiliary), specifics (noun).
Verb checks: intimated agrees with she; were needed pairs plural changes with plural verb were. Sentence structure is balanced and clear.

Passive Constructions

Sentence: “The technique was imitated by many students.”

Parts of speech: The (article), technique (noun), was imitated (passive verb phrase, past), by (preposition), many (determiner), students (noun).
Verb check: was imitated uses passive voice; singular subject technique matches was.

Sentence: “Hints were intimated during the briefing.”

Parts of speech: Hints (noun, plural), were intimated (passive verb phrase, past), during (preposition), the (article), briefing (noun).
Verb check: were intimated agrees with plural hints.

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Mixing the Words Because They Look Similar

Error: “He intimated her accent.” intended meaning: “He imitated her accent.”

Problem: intimated means hinted, not copied. Using it here confuses readers.
Correction: “He imitated her accent.”
Parts-of-speech check: He (pronoun), imitated (verb), her (possessive pronoun), accent (noun).

Mistake 2: Incorrect Verb Tense or Agreement

Error: “They intimates her words.”

Problems: intimates is present tense third-person singular form but subject They is plural; also intimates is unlikely in this semantic context.
Correction: “They intimated her words.” (past) or “They intimate her words” (rare present plural: subject mismatch). Better: “They imitated her words” if copying is intended.
Verb check: Ensure verb matches subject number and intended tense.

Mistake 3: Using Intimated Without an Object or Clause

Error: “He intimated.” (fragment)

Problem: intimated is possible intransitively in rare contexts but often needs an object or complement to show what was hinted.
Correction: “He intimated his approval.” or “He intimated that he would resign.”

Mistake 4: Misplacing Modifiers

Error: “She imitated quickly the teacher.”

Problem: Misplaced adverb quickly should appear close to the verb: “She quickly imitated the teacher.” or “She imitated the teacher quickly.” Both correct depending on emphasis.
Parts-of-speech: She (pronoun), quickly (adverb), imitated (verb), the (article), teacher (noun).

Mistake 5: Confusing Intimate (adjective) With Intimated (verb)

Error: “The letter was intimate that he would come.”

Problem: intimate (adjective) means personal or private; intimated is the verb past tense. Correct: “The letter intimated that he would come.”

American vs British English Differences

Core Meaning Is Shared

Both American and British English use imitate and intimate with the same core meanings and standard conjugations: imitate → imitated, intimate → intimated. The grammar rules about tense and agreement are the same.

Frequency and Formality

Imitated is common in both varieties to mean copied.
Intimated is somewhat more formal and often appears in written or official contexts (e.g., “He intimated his resignation.”) across both varieties.

Register Differences

British formal writing may prefer intimated in legal or diplomatic contexts: “The minister intimated the government’s position.” American legal documents also use intimated, though writers often choose “indicated” or “announced” as clearer alternatives.

Usage Tips Across Varieties

Because intimated can sound formal or old-fashioned, American writers sometimes choose modern synonyms (hinted, suggested). British writers may retain intimated in formal reports. In everyday speech, both varieties favor simpler verbs: copied instead of imitated in casual talk and hinted instead of intimated for clarity.

Idiomatic Expressions and Collocations

Common Collocations With Imitated

“Imitated perfectly” — adverb perfectly modifies verb imitated. Example: “She imitated the singer perfectly.”
“Imitated voice” — adjective imitated used before noun: “an imitated voice” (rare; more natural: “a voice she imitated”).

Parts-of-speech: perfectly (adverb), imitated (verb), singer (noun).

Common Collocations With Intimated

“Intimated that” — the verb intimated is often followed by that plus clause: “He intimated that a decision was coming.”
“Intimated his intention” — noun object intention follows the verb. Example: “She intimated her intention to resign.”

Parts-of-speech: intimated (verb), that (conjunction), decision/intention (noun).

Idioms and Figurative Uses

“Imitate to flatter” — phrase meaning to copy someone in praise or flattery.
“Intimate suspicion” — not idiomatic; better: “expressed suspicion” or “intimated suspicion” in formal text meaning hinted suspicion.

Tone and Implication

Imitated suggests a visible, often audible action. It is concrete.
Intimated suggests subtlety and inference. It is indirect and often used in reports, letters, or diplomacy.

Practical Tips for Writers and Editors

Tip 1: Use a Simple Substitution Test

If you mean copied, substitute copied for the verb: “He copied her laugh” → use imitated. If substitution yields nonsense, you likely need intimated.

Tip 2: Check the Object or Clause That Follows

If the verb is followed by a direct object that is an action or behaviour (laugh, style, movement), imitated is likely correct.
If the verb is followed by that plus clause or a noun like intention or concern, intimated is likely correct.

Tip 3: Watch for Tone — Formal vs Informal

If the context is formal (legal, diplomatic, official notes), intimated may be appropriate. In everyday speech, prefer hinted or suggested for clarity.

Tip 4: Verify Verb Tense and Agreement

Always identify the subject and pick the correct verb form: I imitated / she imitated / they imitated. For present tense: I imitate / she imitates / they imitate. For past participle in perfect tenses: has imitated / have imitated / had imitated.

Tip 5: Avoid Awkward Passive Constructions

Passive forms are correct but can be wordy: “The accent was imitated by the student.” Prefer active voice for clarity when possible: “The student imitated the accent.”

Tip 6: Rephrase If Intimated Feels Unclear

If a sentence using intimated feels vague, rephrase to make the suggestion explicit: “She intimated that she might resign” → “She hinted that she might resign.” This improves readability.

Tip 7: Use Strong Verbs for Clear Writing

If you mean direct copying, imitated is precise. If you mean lightly suggested, intimated is precise, but hinted or suggested may be clearer for general audiences.

Tip 8: Teach With Minimal Pairs

When teaching learners, use minimal pairs side by side:

“He imitated the accent.” (copied the sound)
“He intimated his objections.” (hinted at objections)

Analyzing parts of speech in each sentence reinforces correct usage.

Tip 9: Read Aloud to Hear Meaning

Reading sentences aloud helps reveal whether the verb implies copying or suggesting. Sound cues can guide word choice.

Tip 10: Use Dictionary and Corpus Examples

When in doubt, consult a reputable dictionary for meaning and example sentences. Also check corpora (large collections of real texts) to see how native speakers use these verbs in context.

Error-Spotting Exercises (With Answers)

Exercise 1

Sentence: “She intimated the teacher’s manner.”

Issue? Intimated is used where imitated (copied) is likely intended.
Correction: “She imitated the teacher’s manner.”

Exercise 2

Sentence: “The memo intimated that changes would happen.”

Issue? None — intimated correctly means hinted.
Analysis: The (article), memo (noun), intimated (verb), that (conjunction), changes (noun), would happen (modal + verb phrase).

Exercise 3

Sentence: “They imitated that a new policy was in place.”

Issue? Imitated is incorrect with subordinate clause; intimated likely intended.
Correction: “They intimated that a new policy was in place.”

Long Example Paragraph With Full Analysis

Paragraph: “The actor imitated the old comedian, and during the press conference he intimated that the role had changed his approach to performance.”

Parts of speech: The (article), actor (noun), imitated (verb, past), the (article), old (adjective), comedian (noun), and (conjunction), during (preposition), the (article), press conference (noun phrase), he (pronoun), intimated (verb, past), that (conjunction), the role (noun phrase), had changed (past perfect verb phrase), his (possessive pronoun), approach (noun), to (preposition), performance (noun).
Verb checks: imitated agrees with singular actor, intimated agrees with singular he, had changed correctly marks a prior action. The sentence uses both verbs to show clear, distinct actions.

Conclusion

Imitated and intimated are distinct verbs: imitated = copied; intimated = hinted/suggested. Check the parts of speech around the verb, use substitution tests, verify tense and subject–verb agreement, and place modifiers correctly.

In formal contexts consider synonyms for clarity, and when teaching learners contrast the verbs with minimal pairs. Active voice and concrete objects often favor imitated; indirect clauses and that-clauses often indicate intimated. These checks keep writing precise and avoid the common mix-ups.

FAQs

What is the difference between “imitated” and “intimated”?
The difference is meaning: imitated (verb) means copied or mimicked, while intimated (verb) means hinted or suggested indirectly. Check the object or clause after the verb to choose the right one.
Can I use “intimated” to mean “copied”?
No. Intimated does not mean copied; using it that way is an error. Use imitated for copying.
Is “intimated” more formal than “hinted”?
Yes. Intimated is often more formal and appears in official or written contexts, while hinted is more common in everyday speech.
How do I check verb tense and agreement with these verbs?
Identify the subject, then pick the correct form: I imitated / she imitated / they imitated for past; I intimate / she intimates / they intimate for present (rare); use auxiliaries like has/have/had for perfect tenses.
Which verb should I use if I mean “suggest indirectly”?
Use intimated, or for clearer informal writing use hinted or suggested.
Can “imitated” be passive?
Yes. Example: “The style was imitated by students.” Passive is correct but often wordier than the active form.
Are there British vs American differences for these verbs?
No major difference in meaning. Intimated may appear in formal British reports, but both varieties use the verbs similarly.