Insinuating is an adjective that means a special quality of a person who, with his gentle, cunning or prudent behavior, is able to win favor with others or arouse their trust and sympathy. This definition can be used in the literature in both negative and positive senses. As a rule, the authors resort to this adjective in order to emphasize some psychological qualities of a person: his secrecy or, on the contrary, goodwill.
Common Meaning
Smart is a term that suits smart and observant people. As a rule, the authors, using this term, have in mind their ability to charm others with good or bad intentions. Usually in fiction, this word can be found in descriptions of people acting on the sly.
This adjective is applicable to those characters who hide their intentions from others, but do their best to ingratiate themselves with them and learn their secrets. In this case, the adjective in question is used with a negative connotation. So, insinuating is a word that most often means in works of art a person who is on his mind.
Other meanings of the word
The definition under consideration, however, can also have a figurative meaning. In such cases, the authors resort to it when they want to show something that makes an extremely pleasant impression, something that penetrates the soul and leaves pleasant memories. In these examples, insinuating is a concept that has a positive meaning. It is usually used when describing a person's voice or other sound phenomena (music, songs, etc.).
Also, this definition is applicable to the description of smells, since in this case the word in question means something that intoxicates, makes a good impression on a person’s feelings, his emotions.
Conclusion
So, the meaning of the word "ingratiating" can be different. Most often it is used in fiction when describing characters, as well as natural phenomena or any sound effects. This adjective has an emotional connotation, because, depending on the context of the work, it allows the writer to understand his character, in relation to whom he used this definition. In descriptions of nature, it enhances the semantic load and visibility of the depicted phenomena.
