Innuendo is an allusive remark concerning a person or thing, especially of a depreciatory kind. It is a figure of speech in which moderate and allusive words and tone are used to make comments or pass criticisms upon a person or thing. Innuendo, like irony, enables a speaker to be impolite while seeming to be polite. But different from irony, innuendo does it in a more indirect way. It hints or implies something uncomplimentary without plainly saying it.

As in irony, insincerity may be more or less obvious in innuendo. In Grice’s terms, it may take the form of a breach of the Maxim of Quantity, or a breach of the Maxim of Quality.

Innuendo and irony differ from each other. With irony, the intended meaning is explicit: it is expressed by the opposite of the literal meaning of the word used. In contrast, with innuendo, the intended meaning is implicit and the understanding of it depends on the context. That’s why innuendo is also called ”a mild irony”. Compare the innuendo remarks with the plain statement. Innuendo involves implication, but not all implications are innuendos. Innuendo is often used to criticize, satirize or ridicule a person thing, though in an indirect or in a mild way. Not all implications are intended for this purpose.