Translation guide
The English word "allusion" refers to an indirect reference to something well-known. In Japanese, there is no single perfect equivalent; the best choice depends on whether you mean a literary device, a casual hint, or a suggestive remark.
To refer indirectly to a well-known person, event, story, or work, often in literature or formal speech.
This poem contains an allusion to the Bible.
A technical term in rhetoric meaning 'allusion'. Less common than 暗示, but precise in literary studies.
Allusion is one of the rhetorical devices.
A more general term for hinting or insinuating. Can be used for allusions in everyday speech, but less formal than 暗示.
His story contained an allusion to a past incident.
To mention something indirectly in conversation, often to avoid being explicit.
To make a remark that hints at something, often with a negative or secretive connotation.
While 暗示 is the closest translation for 'allusion', it can sound overly formal or psychological in everyday conversation. For casual indirect references, use ほのめかし or phrases like それとなく言う.
暗示 is more formal and often used for literary or psychological allusions. ほのめかし is more general and can be used for any kind of hint or insinuation, including negative ones.
She alluded to the divorce without saying it directly.
その小説は政治への風刺に満ちている。
The novel is full of allusions to politics.