Meanings
clue1
plural clues · alternative archaic clew
- Information which may lead one to a certain point or conclusion.
Give me a clue because the question is too vague.
1 more example
Black tracks on the magneto, a hairline crack in the flywheel casing, pitted points or a spitless exhaust — all are clues to potential conkouts
1965, Popular Mechanics, volume 123, number 3, page 140Synonyms: hint, indication, suggestion
- An object or a kind of indication which may be used as evidence.
The detectives were looking for some clues at the scene of the crime.
1 more example
And to unravel the question of why I was doing this, I develop the negative, inspect the shadows, search for hidden clues.
1999, John Vernon, “Heat”, in A Book of Reasons, Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Houghton Mifflin Company, →ISBN, page 17 - Insight or understanding ("to have a clue [about]" or "to have clue". See have a clue, clue stick)
I had little clue that I was being carefully monitored by the CCTV.
Synonyms: idea
- crosswordingThe text that indicates an answer in a crossword puzzle.
present singular third person clues · participle present cluing · participle present clueing · participle past clued · past clued · alternative archaic clew
- To provide with a clue.
The crossword compiler wasn't sure how to clue the word "should".
- To provide someone with information which they lack (often used with "in" or "up").
Smith, clue Jones in on what's been happening.
1 more example
I stared into my mind for some image to clue me what to say but I saw only blackness there.
2014, John Macgregor, The Antibiography of Ian Mcnulty - alternativeAlternative form of clew.
If the lee-side of the sail were clued up, the risk would be small compared with what it would be were the sheet nearly aft and the whole sail full of wind on starting the tack.
1864, John McNeill Boyd, A Manual for Naval Cadets, page 444
Clue2
- The board game Cluedo whose goal is to solve the mystery of a fictitious murder.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounInformation which may lead one to a certain point or conclusion.
nounInsight or understanding ("to have a clue [about]" or "to have clue". See have a clue, clue stick)
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*glew-“to ball up, clump together; lump, swelling”
- Proto-Germanic*kliuwīną
- Proto-West Germanic*kliuwīn“ball, clump”
- Old Englishclēowen
- Middle Englishclew
- Englishclue
Variant of clew (“a ball of thread or yarn”), from Middle English clew, clewe, clowe, clue, clwe, clyw, clywe, from Old English clēowen, clīewen, clīowen, clīwen, clȳwe, clȳwen (“ball, sphere; skein”), from Proto-West Germanic *kliuwīn (“ball, clump”), from Proto-Germanic *kliuwīną, *klewô (“bale, ball, clump, mass”), from Proto-Indo-European *glew- (“to ball up, clump together; lump, swelling”). Sense evolution with reference to the one which the mythical Theseus used to guide him out of the Minotaur's labyrinth. More at clew. Cognates Cognate with Cimbrian khnaul (“ball of yarn”), Dutch kluwe, kluwen (“ball thread or yarn, clew”), German Knäuel (“ballyarn; tangle”), Norwegian Nynorsk kljå (“a loom weight”); also Sanskrit ग्लौ (glau, “the moon; camphor; the earth”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἔνδειξις
- ἔνδειξις (éndeixis)information that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
Bulgarian указа́ние, ули́ка
- указа́ние (ukazánie)information that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- ули́ка (ulíka)object or marking that may be used in evidence
Chinese Mandarin 線索 /线索, 證據 /证据
- 線索 /线索 (xiànsuǒ)information that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- 證據 /证据 (zhèngjù)object or marking that may be used in evidence
Czech klíč, vodítko
- klíčinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- vodítkoinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- nápovědainformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
Danish spor, holdepunkt
- sporinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- holdepunktinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- fingerpeginformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- nøgleinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- ledetrådinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- sporobject or marking that may be used in evidence
Dutch aanwijzing, spoor
- aanwijzinginformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- spoorinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- een tip gevento provide with a clue
- inlichtento provide with information
- informerento provide with information
Esperanto indico, indico
- indicoinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- indicoobject or marking that may be used in evidence
Finnish johtolanka, vihje
- johtolankainformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- vihjeinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- johtolankaobject or marking that may be used in evidence
- näyttöobject or marking that may be used in evidence
- todisteobject or marking that may be used in evidence
French indice, indice
- indiceinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- indiceobject or marking that may be used in evidence
- pisteobject or marking that may be used in evidence
- idéeinsight or understanding
- informerto provide with information
German Hinweis, Anhaltspunkt
- Hinweissomething which points the way, a guide
- Anhaltspunktinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- Hinweisinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- Fadeninformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- Indizobject or marking that may be used in evidence
- informierento provide with information
- unterrichtento provide with information
Greek ένδειξη
- ένδειξη (éndeixi)information that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
Hebrew רמז, מושג
- רמז (remez)information that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- מושגinsight or understanding
- מֻשָּׂג (muság)insight or understanding
Hindi संकेत
- संकेत (saṅket)information that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
Hungarian kulcs, nyitja
- kulcssomething which points the way, a guide
- nyitjasomething which points the way, a guide
- megoldássomething which points the way, a guide
- útmutatássomething which points the way, a guide
- támpontinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- fogódzóinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- meghatározásinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- nyomobject or marking that may be used in evidence
- bűnjelobject or marking that may be used in evidence
- nyomra vezető jelobject or marking that may be used in evidence
- fogalmainsight or understanding
- gőzeinsight or understanding
Indonesian petunjuk, petunjuk
- petunjuksomething which points the way, a guide
- petunjukinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
Italian indizio, pista
- indizioinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- pistainformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- provaobject or marking that may be used in evidence
Japanese 手掛かり, 切っ掛け
- 手掛かり (tegakari)information that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- 切っ掛け (kikkake)information that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- きっかけ (kikkake)information that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- 手掛かり (tegakari)object or marking that may be used in evidence
Korean 실마리, 실마리
- 실마리 (silmari)information that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- 실마리 (silmari)object or marking that may be used in evidence
Latin indicium
- indiciumobject or marking that may be used in evidence
Māori tīwhiri
- tīwhiriinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
Norwegian Bokmål ledetråd, ariadnetråd
- ledetrådinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- ariadnetrådinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- ledetrådobject or marking that may be used in evidence
- innsiktinsight or understanding
- forståelseinsight or understanding
Polish podpowiedź
- podpowiedźinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
Portuguese indício, sugestão
- indícioinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- sugestãoinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- pistainformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- pistaobject or marking that may be used in evidence
- indícioobject or marking that may be used in evidence
Romanian indiciu, indiciu
- indiciuinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- indiciuobject or marking that may be used in evidence
- ideeinsight or understanding
- habarinsight or understanding
Russian ключ, нить
- ключ (ključ)information that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- нить (nitʹ)information that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- след (sled)information that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- указа́тель (ukazátelʹ)information that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- ули́ка (ulíka)object or marking that may be used in evidence
Scottish Gaelic gliocas
- gliocasinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
Spanish pista, indicio
- pistainformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- indicioinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- indicioobject or marking that may be used in evidence
Swedish ledtråd, ledtråd
- ledtrådinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- ledtrådobject or marking that may be used in evidence
Thai เบาะแส, ร่องรอย
- เบาะแส (bɔ̀-sɛ̌ɛ)information that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- ร่องรอย (rɔ̂ng-rɔɔi)information that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
- เบาะแส (bɔ̀-sɛ̌ɛ)object or marking that may be used in evidence
Turkish ipucu
- ipucuinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
Vietnamese manh mối
- manh mốiinformation that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
Welsh clem
- cleminsight or understanding
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with clue
All rhymes →Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
clue. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clue
“clue.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clue. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “clue,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clue.
Source: clue on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.