wink at
C1Formal, Literary, Journalistic
Definition
Meaning
to deliberately ignore or pretend not to notice (a fault, rule violation, or wrongdoing), typically as a sign of secret understanding or tolerance.
To connive or be complicit through passive acceptance; to give tacit approval by failing to act against something.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
A phrasal verb with strong negative or morally dubious connotations. Implies a conscious decision to overlook, often for convenience or corruption. Not to be confused with the literal 'wink' (blink one eye).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major difference in meaning. Slightly more common in British legal/political discourse. The phrase 'turn a blind eye to' is a close synonym used equally in both.
Connotations
Equally pejorative in both varieties. Suggests collusion, corruption, or moral weakness.
Frequency
Low-frequency in casual speech; more common in formal writing, news, and political commentary.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
SUBJ + wink at + OBJ (rule, violation, practice)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “turn a blind eye to”
- “look the other way”
- “let it slide”
- “give a free pass”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"The regulator was accused of winking at the company's blatant safety violations."
Academic
"The study examines how colonial administrations winked at local corrupt practices to maintain stability."
Everyday
"Parents shouldn't wink at their children's bullying behaviour, even if it's minor."
Technical
Rare in technical contexts outside of legal/political science discourse.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The local council was found to have winked at the blatant planning violations for years.
- One cannot simply wink at electoral fraud and claim moral authority.
American English
- The administration has been accused of winking at its allies' human rights abuses.
- The coach winked at the team's hazing rituals, leading to a major scandal.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable
American English
- Not applicable
adjective
British English
- Not applicable
American English
- Not applicable
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The teacher never winks at students who cheat on tests.
- Good leaders don't wink at bad behaviour in their team.
- The government cannot afford to wink at tax evasion by powerful corporations.
- For decades, the industry winked at environmental regulations to cut costs.
- The judicial inquiry revealed a pattern of senior officials winking at systematic corruption within the police force.
- By winking at the regime's early transgressions, the international community inadvertently enabled its later atrocities.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a corrupt official giving a literal **wink** to a lawbreaker, signalling "I see you breaking the rule, but I'll pretend I didn't."
Conceptual Metaphor
KNOWING IS SEEING / IGNORING IS CLOSING ONE'S EYES (specifically one eye, implying partial, secret sight).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate literally as *'подмигнуть'* (to physically wink).
- Avoid confusing with *'закрывать глаза на'* which is the correct conceptual equivalent.
- The object of the verb is the *wrongdoing*, not the *person* committing it.
Common Mistakes
- Using it to mean 'to signal with a wink' (literal meaning).
- Using it with a person as the object (e.g., *'He winked at her'* is literal).
- Confusing it with 'blink at' (which means to be surprised).
Practice
Quiz
What does 'wink at' mean in this sentence: 'The manager chose to wink at the minor breach of protocol to maintain team morale.'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is primarily used in formal, literary, journalistic, or political contexts. It's not common in casual everyday chat.
No. The literal action is simply 'to wink.' The phrasal verb 'wink at' almost always has the idiomatic meaning of 'deliberately overlook.'
They are very close synonyms. 'Turn a blind eye' is slightly more common and perhaps more metaphorical. 'Wink at' can imply a more active, secret complicity.
Yes, overwhelmingly so. The object is typically a fault, violation, misdeed, or unethical practice. It is not used for neutrally ignoring something benign.