hush

play

verb \ ˈhəsh \

Definition of hush

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

See hush defined for English-language learners

See hush defined for kids

Examples of hush in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of hush from the Web

The eyes dried, the arteries drained, the lungs hushed.

— eric berger, Ars Technica, "As eclipse madness spreads, so do conspiracy theories," 9 Aug. 2017
Rich did his best to hush the crowd and Leff holed up in a locked office to make his 1,200-word call in privacy.

— ben golliver, SI.com, "A Jungle Reunion: Inside One Man's Dream to Re-Create a 1996 SI Photo Shoot," 5 Aug. 2017
This afternoon, as the Senate takes up yet another iteration of its Obamacare-repeal bill, there will be mostly hushed and nervous tones in the Capitol building.

— clifton leaf, Fortune, "Shark Week Day 2: The Sound of Fear," 26 July 2017
A blanket of acoustic foam surrounding the fuel pumps and injectors hushes noise radiating from this praiseworthy powerhouse.

— don sherman, Car and Driver, "2018 Bentley Continental GT," 5 July 2017
As the crowd tightened and hushed for the set, which included Vernon's falsetto, Dessner's guitar, and flute and French horn electronica, the mood felt decidedly inclusive, collaborative and experimental.

— karen herzog, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Eau Claire is more than Eaux Claires: It's home to millennials," 1 July 2017
The report concluded Joe Paterno and other administrators hushed up a 2001 complaint against Sandusky for fear of bad publicity.

— mark scolforo, Philly.com, "Paterno family drops lawsuit against NCAA over Freeh report," 30 June 2017
The lawsuit claims the NCAA damaged the Paterno estate’s commercial interests by its use of the Freeh report, which alleged Paterno and other administrators hushed up the 2001 complaint against Sandusky for fear of bad publicity.

— Washington Post, "5 years after Sandusky conviction, many unresolved issues," 22 June 2017
The award ceremony, normally held at the White House by the president, was hushed up and conducted at a Navy ship yard.

— Cincinnati.com, "Column: Prudent to be skeptical," 21 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hush.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of hush

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1546

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hush Synonyms

Synonyms

calm (down), chill out [slang], cool, quiet, pipe down, settle (down)

Antonyms

act up, carry on, cut up

Related Words

dry up; relax, tranquilize (also tranquillize), unwind, zone out

Near Antonyms

clown (around), fool around, horse around, monkey (around), show off, skylark

hush

adjective

Definition of hush

1 archaic :silent, still

2 :intended to prevent the dissemination of certain information

hush money

Recent Examples of hush from the Web

Staying hush-hush about who is behind your private label is standard practice for the industry, but Trader Joe's takes it above and beyond.

— beth kowitt, Fortune, "Trader Joe’s Really Puts the Private In Private Label. Here’s How They Do It," 10 Aug. 2017
Patin is adding appetizers to the menu: hush puppies ($7), riblets ($13 a pound), sausage and melted cheese curds ($10) and hickory butter shrimp ($18 a pound).

— carol deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Iron Grate BBQ opens Friday in new home on Howell," 10 Aug. 2017
In May, leaked recordings appeared to show the president condoning the payment of hush money to protect Joesley Batista, a meatpacking executive who was himself under investigation for corruption.

— marina lopes, Washington Post, "Brazilian Congress to vote on removing the second president in a year," 2 Aug. 2017
High praise, indeed, but if that's not enough to tempt you, Thrillist points out KKC's unique side offerings, which range from Boudin Bites (essentially hush puppies made with rice and pork) and delectable-sounding Honey Butter Biscuits.

— joey morona, cleveland.com, "Thrillist's best fried chicken chain is in Cleveland but you probably didn't notice," 31 July 2017
Crushed Nacho-cheese Doritos, pepper Jack cheese, nacho cheese and jalapeño juice are formed into balls that go into a deep fryer, emerging crisp outside and moist inside, with a consistency between that of hush puppies and arancini (risotto ball).

— carla meyer, sacbee, "A sampling of the weirdest, wildest food at the California State Fair," 20 July 2017
Like everything else Apple does, their continued entry into all things fitness has been hush-hush.

— rachel jacoby zoldan, SELF, "Target Released 4 Photos of Its New Activewear Line, and We Want Everything," 20 July 2017
Keen investigative work by the Internal Revenue Service, the FBI and the US Attorney's Office eventually discovered Hastert had agreed to pay $3.5 million in hush money to one individual in exchange for the former student's silence.

— sophie tatum, CNN, "Financial transactions led investigators to uncover Hastert abuse cover-up," 18 July 2017
Jazz Jennings is no stranger to breaking down barriers and talking about things that many people keep hush-hush.

— brittney mcnamara, Teen Vogue, "Watch Jazz Jennings Talk to Her Parents About Orgasms," 5 July 2017

First Known Use of hush

1602

hush

noun

Definition of hush

:a silence or calm especially following noise :quiet

See hush defined for English-language learners

Examples of hush in a Sentence

the storm passed, and a hush fell over the sea
a hush fell over the auditorium as the lights went down

Recent Examples of hush from the Web

While the adults picked from passing trays of sweet-corn hush puppies and chicken and beef on sticks, the little girl passed the time with a liquefying bag of M&Ms, not far from her mother’s side.

— michael gordon, charlotteobserver, "Last night, she wished upon a star. Here’s how the eclipse made it come true.," 21 Aug. 2017
Hastert originally reported to the Federal Medical Center in Rochester on June 22, 2016 — one year after his indictment surrounding secret hush-money payments sparked his epic downfall.

— christy gutowski, chicagotribune.com, "Dennis Hastert's federal prison sentence ends, but lawsuits still loom," 16 Aug. 2017
Instead, the crowd, upon seeing Ali’s condition and expressionless face, fell into a hush, as if in shame.

— michelle kaufman, miamiherald, "Here are Loria’s Five Most Cringeworthy Moments as Marlins owner," 14 Aug. 2017
Staying hush-hush about who is behind your private label is standard practice for the industry, but Trader Joe's takes it above and beyond.

— beth kowitt, Fortune, "Trader Joe’s Really Puts the Private In Private Label. Here’s How They Do It," 10 Aug. 2017
Bits of corn mirror the hush puppies’ innards, while tomatoes and cucumbers bring the salad back to reality.

— anna caplan, star-telegram, "Greens to envy: Five great salads to cool you off," 26 July 2017
Again, an injury to Corey Maggette put a little hush over the proceedings, but the hilarity of watching a gray-bearded Moochie Norris (wearing No. 96!) trying to take guys off the dribble more than made up for it.

— rohan nadkarni, SI.com, "The Crossover's Big 3 Debut Running Diary," 26 June 2017
Ms. Hoffman, 80, recalls how the birds stopped singing and the horses prepared to sleep as the sky gradually darkened and a hush fell over the land.

— gillian flaccus, The Christian Science Monitor, "Excitement for solar eclipse builds, but are small towns in prime viewing locations ready for the crowds?," 23 June 2017
James dropped to the floor and a hush fell over Cleveland's crowd as the three-time champ laid in the foul lane like a boxer sprawled on the canvas after taking an upper cut.

— CBS News, "Warriors beat Cavs 118-113 to move within game of series, postseason sweep," 8 June 2017

First Known Use of hush

1650

hush Synonyms

Near Antonyms

clamor, din, noise, racket

HUSH Defined for English Language Learners

hush

play

verb

Definition of hush for English Language Learners

: to make (someone) quiet, calm, or still
: to become quiet

hush

noun

Definition of hush for English Language Learners

: a time of silence, stillness, or calm especially after noise

HUSH Defined for Kids

hush

play

verb \ ˈhəsh \

Definition of hush for Students

hushed; hushing

:to make or become quiet, calm, or still :soothe

He hushed the baby.

hush

noun

Definition of hush for Students

:¹quiet

A hush fell over the room.

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See words that rhyme with hush Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hush Spanish Central: Translation of hush Nglish: Translation of hush for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of hush for Arabic speakers

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