as in bubbling
to make a sound like that of stretching out the speech sound \s\
the frightened kitten hissed at us when we tried to pick it up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hissing
JSTOR Daily, 25 Nov. 2025
Noise of trees crackling and sap hissing, branches thumping down, timber being dragged and chopped.
—Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
Elsa Lanchester’s performance as the hissing, glamorous Bride — which was inspired, in part, by swans at the zoo — is fabulous as well, making a legendary impression with only seven minutes of screen time.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Steam was rising out of the hissing showers nearby, and there was Josh Allen slumped on a stool in front of his locker, looking like a club fighter from Jersey who had picked the wrong opponent for a payday.
—Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
According to a blog post from The Spruce Pets, a new kitten can cause a lot of stress for an older cat, leading to behaviors like hissing, reclusiveness or even a sudden change in eating habits.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025
Nbc Los Angeles, NBC news, 2 Dec. 2025
Look for signs like the cat stopping purring, stiffening, thrashing their tail, or hissing.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
My pal was in deep slumber, breathed through this kind of hissing accordion.
—Sam Lipsyte, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
And, that there was a goblin, squatting in my skull, rattling a metal pail full of bolts and hissing failure, rot, spoil.
—Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Warning signs a skunk is ready to spray include jumping, stamping their front feet, arching their back, clicking teeth, and hissing.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
Cats may stare at a certain spot in the room, or walk in to the room and start hissing for no apparent reason.
—Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Oct. 2025
Contractors working on a sewer project on the 4600 block of 10th Avenue at Stockton Boulevard reported hearing a hissing sound coming from a 2-inch gas line, according to authorities.
—Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2025
But on a recent warm September morning, the rhythmic beat of jackhammers crushing concrete with steel and the hissing flow of rush hour traffic greeted a group of amateur ornithologists.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 22 Sep. 2025
Noun
And there’s a constant hissing noise around it.
—JSTOR Daily, 25 Nov. 2025
Noise of trees crackling and sap hissing, branches thumping down, timber being dragged and chopped.
—Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
Elsa Lanchester’s performance as the hissing, glamorous Bride — which was inspired, in part, by swans at the zoo — is fabulous as well, making a legendary impression with only seven minutes of screen time.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Steam was rising out of the hissing showers nearby, and there was Josh Allen slumped on a stool in front of his locker, looking like a club fighter from Jersey who had picked the wrong opponent for a payday.
—Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
According to a blog post from The Spruce Pets, a new kitten can cause a lot of stress for an older cat, leading to behaviors like hissing, reclusiveness or even a sudden change in eating habits.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025
Verb
Ken Johnson, the homeowner, said Monday that the bear has been growling and hissing, terrifying him and his cat.
—Nbc Los Angeles, NBC news, 2 Dec. 2025
Look for signs like the cat stopping purring, stiffening, thrashing their tail, or hissing.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
My pal was in deep slumber, breathed through this kind of hissing accordion.
—Sam Lipsyte, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
And, that there was a goblin, squatting in my skull, rattling a metal pail full of bolts and hissing failure, rot, spoil.
—Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Warning signs a skunk is ready to spray include jumping, stamping their front feet, arching their back, clicking teeth, and hissing.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
Cats may stare at a certain spot in the room, or walk in to the room and start hissing for no apparent reason.
—Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Oct. 2025
Contractors working on a sewer project on the 4600 block of 10th Avenue at Stockton Boulevard reported hearing a hissing sound coming from a 2-inch gas line, according to authorities.
—Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2025
But on a recent warm September morning, the rhythmic beat of jackhammers crushing concrete with steel and the hissing flow of rush hour traffic greeted a group of amateur ornithologists.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hissing
Noun
-
Trump plowed on loudly through the booing.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
10 Jan. 2026
-
The defense stunk, the presnap penalties were an epidemic, and the booing and animus against quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was simmering to a loud boil.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The underlying tension was bubbling up to the surface.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Remove the foil and continue to bake until the lasagna is tender all the way through when pierced with a knife, the cheese is bubbling and the top is golden brown, about 15 minutes more.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Clearing right-of-way strips can result in the loss of trees and native vegetation; crackles, hisses and humming can be heard nearby especially during periods of high humidity; and farm fields and animal habitat can be affected by construction activities.—
Madeline Heim,
jsonline.com,
12 Dec. 2025
-
The clink of cutlery and the hiss of the grill, the clouds of steam rising off plates, the heady chaos that comes with a place of public convening, a destination as much as a place of transience.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
10 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The redshirt sophomore slowed up to force contact with a trailing Ewin near midcourt and later flung his body on Ewin’s screen for an offensive whistle.—
Matt Byrne,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
-
However, in hindsight, having a whistle—something Dyason never hikes without—would have been much more effective.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In 2020, when Wembanyama was 16, a video of him swishing midrange jumpers against Rudy Gobert, a 7-foot-1 French compatriot and one of the NBA’s top defenders, went viral.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
17 Dec. 2025
-
The Rockets have already started releasing videos of Şengün running pick-and-rolls as the ballhandler and swishing 3-pointers during the first few days of training camp.—
William Guillory,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
McDonald’s is spreading a little festive sneer this holiday season with the release of a brand-new menu inspired by Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Nov. 2025
-
Burnett tried several versions in a row: first deadpan, then with a sneer of sarcasm, pursing her lips in judgment.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Elphaba, meanwhile, uncovering the Wizard and Madame Morrible's nefarious plot, defies them all — and gravity in the process — breaking out of the Emerald City on broomstick and whizzing off into sunset.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Upstairs, Justus demonstrated how the large exterior windows crank open, allowing the fall air and sound of cars whizzing down Main Street to spill in.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There was no wink, there was no smirk.—
Mike Miller,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Fixed with a seemingly permanent half-smile — detractors called it a smirk — Cheney joked about his outsize reputation as a stealthy manipulator.—
Calvin Woodward,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hissing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hissing. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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