Intimate spotted scratching head (5)
I believe the answer is:
imply
'intimate' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'spotted scratching head' is the wordplay.
'spotted' becomes 'pimply'.
'scratching head' means to remove the first letter.
'pimply' with its first letter taken off is 'IMPLY'.
(Other definitions for imply that I've seen before include "Involve - intimate" , "Express by indirect means" , "Insinuate or suggest" , "Express indirectly" , "Hint, suggest" .)