intimate

Compared meaning: emotionally close in a relationship (adjective).

比较义项：（人际关系上）亲近的、亲密的（形容词）。

• close

  The general, everyday word for emotional closeness in any relationship - friends, family, colleagues. Neutral in tone, works in casual and formal contexts alike, and is the default choice when in doubt.

  这是表示人际关系亲近程度最常用的普通词，可用于朋友、家人、同事等任何关系，语气中性，正式和非正式场合皆可使用，是拿不准时的默认选择。

  My sister and I have always been close, even though we live in different countries.

  尽管我们住在不同的国家，我和姐姐（妹妹）一直很亲近。

• familiar

  Suggests closeness built up gradually through frequent contact; can also imply someone is acting too informally or presumptuously with another person, which native speakers often read as slightly negative or overstepping social boundaries.

  指通过频繁接触而逐渐建立起来的亲近关系；也可以表示某人对别人过于随意或冒昧，母语者常将其理解为略带负面、显得越界的意味。

  Some customers found the salesman a little too familiar, using nicknames right away.

  有些顾客觉得那位销售员有点过于随便亲近，一见面就直呼绰号。

• near

  Formal or legal register, largely limited to kinship terms like 'near relative' or 'near relation'; rarely describes friendships and sounds old-fashioned or bureaucratic in everyday conversation compared to 'close'.

  属于正式或法律用语，主要局限于表示亲属关系的固定搭配，例如中文里的“近亲”这类说法，很少用来形容友谊，在日常口语中比“close”显得老式、官方。

  He died with no near relatives left to claim the inheritance.

  他去世时没有留下近亲可以继承遗产。

• intimate 本词

  Marks the deepest degree of closeness, often involving private or personal matters, sometimes with romantic or sexual overtones; used for very close friends, partners, or confidential conversations and details.

  表示亲近程度最深的一种，往往涉及私密或个人的事情，有时带有浪漫或性方面的意味；用于非常亲密的朋友、伴侣，或私密的谈话与细节。

  They shared intimate details about their childhood that they'd never told anyone else.

  他们分享了从未告诉过任何人的童年隐秘细节。

Close, familiar, near, and intimate all describe closeness. Close is the general word. Familiar suggests closeness from frequent contact, but can also mean acting too informally, which sounds negative. Near is formal, limited to phrases like near relative. Intimate marks the deepest closeness, sometimes private.

这四个词在“人际关系上亲近、亲密”这一义项上意思相近，但语气和使用场合不同：close 最常用、语气中性；familiar 强调因长期接触而逐渐熟络，有时含有“为人过于随便”的负面意味；near 偏正式或法律用语，常用于表示亲属关系的固定说法；intimate 程度最深，常涉及私密话题，有时带有暧昧或亲密关系的意味。这里不比较 close 的“关闭”和“（距离上）接近”义项、familiar 的“熟悉的，眼熟的”义项、near 的“（距离上）接近的”义项，以及 intimate 的“私人的，隐私的”等其他义项。

Compared meaning: private, or belonging to oneself (adjective).

比较义项：私人的、自己的（形容词）。

• intimate 本词

  Emphasizes secrecy and closeness — something shared only with a few trusted people, often emotional or confidential in nature.

  强调私密与亲近——只与少数信任的人分享，通常带有情感色彩或需要保密。

  He felt embarrassed discussing such an intimate matter with a stranger.

  在陌生人面前谈论如此私密的事，他感到很尴尬。

• personal

  Focuses on what belongs to an individual's own life, body or feelings, often contrasted with public or professional matters.

  侧重属于个人自身生活、身体或情感的事，常与公开或工作事务相对。

  The interviewer avoided asking personal questions about her salary.

  面试官避免询问她薪水等私人问题。

• private

  Means not shared with others or not open to the public; used for property, information or spaces reserved for one person or a small group.

  指不与他人共享或不对公众开放；用于财产、信息或只供一人或小范围人使用的空间。

  Employees are not allowed to use the printer for private business.

  员工不得将打印机用于私人事务。

• own

  A limiting adjective that must follow a possessive (my/your/his own), stressing sole possession rather than secrecy or personal relevance.

  是一个限定性形容词，必须跟在物主代词（my/your/his own）之后，强调专属所有权，而非私密性或与个人的相关性。

  She finally has her own bedroom instead of sharing with her sister.

  她终于有了自己的卧室，不用再和姐妹合住。

These words all relate to what is private or one's own. Intimate stresses secrecy, shared only with trusted people. Personal focuses on an individual's own life, body, or feelings. Private means not shared with others or open to the public. Own stresses sole possession.

这几个词在“私人的、自己的”这一意义上相近，但侧重点不同：intimate强调私密、不愿公开，personal强调与个人生活或身体有关，private强调不与他人共享或不对外开放，own则强调所有权，须与物主代词连用。这里不比较intimate表示“（人际关系）亲密的”这一常见义，也不比较own用作动词“拥有”的用法。

Compared meaning: to hint at something indirectly (verb).

比较义项：暗示，间接表明（动词）。

• suggest

  Neutral, everyday verb for hinting at something; often used when proposing an idea or gently implying an opinion, in speech or writing.

  语气中性、日常，常用于暗示某种想法，或在提出建议、委婉表达看法时使用，口语和书面语均可。

  Her silence seemed to suggest that she disagreed with the plan.

  她的沉默似乎暗示她并不赞同这个计划。

• intimate 本词

  Formal and somewhat reserved; implies the speaker is revealing something delicately or indirectly, often withholding full details, typical of formal or written contexts.

  语气正式、较为含蓄，暗示说话人是有所保留、委婉地透露某事，往往不把细节说全，多见于正式或书面场合。

  The minister intimated that further budget cuts were being considered.

  部长暗示正在考虑进一步削减预算。

Suggest and intimate both mean hinting at an idea indirectly. Suggest is neutral and everyday, often used to propose ideas or opinions. Intimate is more formal and reserved, implying the speaker is holding something back. Intimate's adjective sense, 'close and personal', is not compared here.

两词在“间接透露出某种想法或信息”这一意义上相近，但 suggest 语气中性、日常，常用于提出建议或委婉提出看法；intimate 更正式、拘谨，暗示说话人有所保留、话中有话，常见于书面语或正式场合。这里不比较 intimate 作形容词时“亲密的”这一义项。