HISSING Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

hissing 1 of 2

noun

as in booing

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Dissimilar Words

hissing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of hiss

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

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.

Recent Examples of hissing

Noun

Musty odors, excessive dust and strange hissing noise can mean problems with the ducts, but other problems can go unnoticed. — Alora Bopray, USA Today, 24 July 2026 Fireworks might have additional whistling, crackling or hissing sounds. — Eva Flowe july 1, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2026 Sure enough, all tires were up and there were no obvious punctures or hissing sounds. — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 28 June 2026 There was no explosion, no frantic hissing, or toxic plume. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026 At one point, he was seen walking toward an SUV's rear passenger side tire when agents heard a pop and a loud hissing noise. — Brandon Downs, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026 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

Verb

And in 2022, Japanese researchers turned a Madagascar hissing cockroach into a cyborg for search-and-rescue missions using a similar, though more sophisticated, approach. — ArsTechnica, 3 Aug. 2026 The complete assembly weighs just enough for the Madagascar hissing cockroach, a species favored for cyborg research because of its large size, robustness, and wingless body, to carry without significantly impairing its movement. — New Atlas, 18 July 2026 Jason was hissing fiercely; Gordon, who projects a monastic calm, was trying to reason with the mother while batting her back each time the flap swung open. — Literary Hub, 15 July 2026 Granny doesn’t discriminate, hissing invective at both Alice and Thya with equal venom. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026 Then a hissing arrow pins a golden soccer ball to the Clash of Clans escutcheon. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 26 June 2026 There’s plenty of feline choreography, like crawling, meowing, and hissing. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 23 June 2026 Louis let out a hissing breath. — Dolores Brown, Outdoor Life, 17 June 2026 However, some observers have reported hearing faint crackling or hissing noises during intense displays. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hissing

Noun

Also, the booing of every single hydration break has been surprisingly amusing every single time.

— Phil Hay, New York Times, 4 July 2026
The Aniya moment alone would have been enough to earn this couplet of episodes five stars, but the recoupling also included a group booing, another hair-raising, furious speech from Melanie, and a moving Brinity reunion.

— Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 29 June 2026

Definition of booing

Noun

Across 17 tracks, guitar riffs curdle into sheets of distortion, melodies dissolve into electronic hiss, and grooves are chronically interrupted by fresh rhythmic detours.

— Arman Khan, Pitchfork, 4 Aug. 2026
Up in the stands, fans waved their own flags — including some sneaked in over the objections of FIFA and the courts — and wrestled with emotions, as boos, howls and hisses rained down from all corners of the stadium.

— Rick Maese, Washington Post, 16 June 2026

Definition of hiss

Verb

Rinse the blueberries under cold running water, gently swishing them around with your hands to ensure all the berries are exposed to water.

— Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart, 3 July 2026
The Western Ghats mountains tumble down the west coast of India like a breaking wave, swishing through six states and across nearly 1,000 miles.

— Susan D'Arcy, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 June 2026

Definition of swishing

Noun

Each time assistant coach Pablo de la Torre, the fitness specialist, blew his whistle, the players had to sprint to the far end of the pitch and back again before the rondos resumed.

— James Pearce, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
One of them, a shorter, bearded man with a nose reddened and swollen from years of abusing liquor, gave a low whistle.

— Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026

Definition of whistle

Verb

But these technical qualities only throw into relief the plastic, uncanny-valley feel of the characters whizzing about this latter-day Skull Island.

— Caspar Salmon, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
But in May, the Psyche spacecraft caught an unusual glimpse of Mars while performing a maneuver to harness the planet's gravity and send it whizzing beyond the planet toward the main asteroid belt.

— Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 21 July 2026

Definition of whizzing

Noun

The film’s sincerity — the quality critics praised most — was met with a sneer rather than a response.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 6 July 2026
With his rakish sneer and ruthlessly tight jodhpurs, Rupert has been thoroughly neutered with irony, transformed into an object for women to pick at.

— Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026

Definition of sneer

Noun

Orlando Bloom flashes a shirtless smirk while on vacation in Marmi, Italy on July 26.

— Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026
His trademark smirk and knowing stare are now feared by any opponent up against Norway, but don’t be fooled into thinking Haaland isn’t serious about his career.

— Ben Church, CNN Money, 11 July 2026

Definition of smirk

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hissies

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“Hissing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hissing. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of hissing

noun

verb

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