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
Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
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
Ronnie Li, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Then there's hissing through the air vents.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Mar. 2026
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, 10 Mar. 2026
Rising from the center of the bay is a Star Wars-style cockpit, neon-lit and hissing as the door opens to reveal a dashboard equipped with self-flying software.
—Noelle Harff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, the Bronx Zoo in New York has revived its annual tradition of naming one of the zoo’s thousands of Madagascar hissing cockroaches for $15.
—Julian Torres, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
Why Madagascar hissing cockroaches are actually romantic Naming a roach for Valentine’s Day is a great gag, but also these critters are capable of hissing their way into your heart.
—Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2026
If the pressure relief valve begins hissing or spraying water, then something is wrong.
—Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 28 Jan. 2026
Donors symbolically adopt and name a Madagascar hissing cockroach after a loved one, an ex, or anyone who deserves to be immortalized with a hiss and receive a certificate with your proof of naming for $15.
—Dianne Plummer, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Noun
Signs that a battery is about to fail include swelling, hissing, popping, an unusual odor and excessive heat, according to a New York Division of Homeland Security battery consumer guide.
—Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
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
Growling, hissing and swiping, Scooter charged at a glass door, holding its ground as the bears lingered just outside.
—Ronnie Li, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Then there's hissing through the air vents.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Mar. 2026
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, 10 Mar. 2026
Rising from the center of the bay is a Star Wars-style cockpit, neon-lit and hissing as the door opens to reveal a dashboard equipped with self-flying software.
—Noelle Harff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, the Bronx Zoo in New York has revived its annual tradition of naming one of the zoo’s thousands of Madagascar hissing cockroaches for $15.
—Julian Torres, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
Why Madagascar hissing cockroaches are actually romantic Naming a roach for Valentine’s Day is a great gag, but also these critters are capable of hissing their way into your heart.
—Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2026
If the pressure relief valve begins hissing or spraying water, then something is wrong.
—Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 28 Jan. 2026
Donors symbolically adopt and name a Madagascar hissing cockroach after a loved one, an ex, or anyone who deserves to be immortalized with a hiss and receive a certificate with your proof of naming for $15.
—Dianne Plummer, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hissing
Noun
-
The anger builds, leading to louder and more frequent booing.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Among the many rules at Augusta National — no cell phones, no booing, no lying in the grass — patrons are not allowed to run.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
No scene brushes up against the real world more intimately than watching the girls touch up their (clean, organic) makeup before the big dance, nerves bubbling over into jealousy and sniping.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, the Smiths’ songs keep bubbling up into pop culture, soundtracking films about giant robots (2018’s Bumblebee) and hitmen (2023’s The Killer) and influencing generations of bands.—
Al Shipley,
SPIN,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Apple's implementation is natural and consistent, without the hiss introduced by Bose and Sony.—
Christian de Looper,
PC Magazine,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Workers load stacks of textiles onto belts that move them through the scanner, which emits a sharp hiss while reading the textiles’ composition.—
Tian MacLeod Ji,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Till the final whistle, or James’ final words, leaving Toyota Center on Friday with a controlling advantage en route to a potential second-round showdown with the defending champs, that desperation was evident.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The scrums and after-whistle activity that defined the first period of Game 2 and much of Game 1 simply were not there in Game 3, with the Lightning seemingly content to play between the whistles in an effort to avoid handing the Canadiens power plays in bunches.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Illinois freshman then spun to his left and hopped back behind the 3-point line, swishing his second 3-pointer of the night.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
-
In the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ blowout win against Sacramento, James bounced off the balls of his feet down the court with his unmistakable bow-legged gait after swishing a 3.—
Dan Woike,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
While some celebrants have greeted these caricatures with cathartic jeers and sneers, others are shocked and outraged.—
Tim Brinkhof,
JSTOR Daily,
1 Apr. 2026
-
From the sneer of Billy Idol to the smooth sashaying of Sade, the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees amplify the institution’s commitment to recognizing a diverse slate.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The terrain is mostly flat, and there are plenty of electric buggies for whizzing around.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Nobody wants pedestrians doing selfies in the middle of DuSable Lake Shore Drive, cars whizzing by.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
With a smirk on his face, Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman interrupted the question.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Barcelona, created by a small group of rock-and-roll writers from Buenos Aires, approached news stories from Argentina and around the world with a smirk.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hissing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hissing. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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