hush

1 of 3

verb

hushed; hushing; hushes

transitive verb

1
: calm, quiet
hushed the children as they entered the library
2
: to put at rest : mollify
3
: to keep from public knowledge : suppress
hush the story up

intransitive verb

: to become quiet

hush

2 of 3

adjective

1
archaic : silent, still
2
: intended to prevent the dissemination of certain information
hush money

hush

3 of 3

noun

: a silence or calm especially following noise : quiet

Examples of hush in a Sentence

Verb The woman in the seat behind me was trying to hush her baby. The judge hushed the spectators. The spectators hushed as the judge entered the courtroom. Noun the storm passed, and a hush fell over the sea a hush fell over the auditorium as the lights went down
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Throughout January and February, the neighborhood’s streets were hushed, the Latin American restaurants emptier. Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 5 May 2025 But the confidence and craftsmanship invested in Crash are, ultimately, the problem, because the infuriatingly contrived screenplay and hushed seriousness conspire to produce a risible portrait of complex social issues reduced to glib plot points. Will Leitch, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Influential Kevin Feige: Marvel maestro, box office bellwether June 2, 2024 Now with Fox’s superhero characters in play, Marvel can open another lane of interest for new or lapsed fans — and potentially hush persistent talk of superhero fatigue. Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2024 Conversations hush as a chaplain appears to deliver the invocation on this early spring morning. Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 15 June 2024
Noun
Related Stories Gary Lineker Criticized Once Again After Re-posting Video Featuring Antisemitic Trope 'Such Brave Girls': Exclusive Images From Returning BBC & Hulu Comedy The BBC has been hush hush on the celebs for weeks but The Sun revealed the vast majority of the names a fortnight ago. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 13 May 2025 In the predawn hush of a military base, long before the bustle of morning drills, LeAnne Withrow would quietly slip into the women’s shower room. Solcyré Burga, Time, 9 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for hush

Word History

Etymology

Verb

back-formation from husht hushed, from Middle English hussht, from huissht, interjection used to enjoin silence

First Known Use

Verb

1546, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adjective

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1650, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hush was in 1546

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hush.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hush. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

hush

1 of 2 verb
1
: to make quiet, calm, or still : soothe
hush a baby
2
: to become quiet
3
: to keep from public knowledge : suppress
hush up the crime

hush

2 of 2 noun
: a silence or calm especially following noise

More from Merriam-Webster on hush

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!