それとなく・其れと無くsoretonaku

1. adverbindirectly; obliquely; implicitly; by implication; in a roundabout way; casually
   彼かれの手紙てがみはその事件じけんにそれとなくふれている。↗

   His letter alludes to the event.

• Synonym暗にあんにNeutralHints at something left unsaid, stressing the implication between the lines, as in 「暗に批判する」.
• SynonymそれとなしにNeutralSynonymous with 「それとなく」, with a slightly more written flavor, as in 「それとなしに尋ねる」.
• SynonymそれとはなしにWrittenClose to 「それとなく」: not stating things outright but hinting tactfully, as in 「それとはなしに伝える」; a written, formal expression.
• Related間接的かんせつてきNeutralAn adjectival noun meaning indirect; it describes the manner in objective terms, as in 「間接的に伝える」.
• AntonymはっきりNeutralMeans clearly and plainly, the direct opposite of the roundabout 「それとなく」.
• Antonym明確にNeutralMeans explicitly, leaving no room for ambiguity; the opposite of the implicit hinting of 「それとなく」.
• AntonymわざとらしくNeutralSuggests a deliberate, affected manner, contrasting with the natural subtlety of 「それとなく」.

Use 「それとなく」 to hint at something unobtrusively, as in 「それとなく注意する」. For an unspoken implication choose 「暗に」; to say something outright use 「はっきり」 or 「明確に」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 直接的ちょくせつてきではなく、遠回とおまわしな言い方いいかたや態度たいどで、相手あいてに何なんかを伝つたえること。