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
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
The hissing noise tracked to his home office, where one wall felt particularly warm.
—J.c. Hallman, Oklahoma Watch, 22 Jan. 2026
As always, the kittens will be hissing from a luxury suite a safe distance away from the action.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
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
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
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
The hissing noise tracked to his home office, where one wall felt particularly warm.
—J.c. Hallman, Oklahoma Watch, 22 Jan. 2026
As always, the kittens will be hissing from a luxury suite a safe distance away from the action.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hissing
Noun
-
On other occasions, including the defeats to West Ham, Newcastle United and Chelsea, supporters voiced their frustration with furious booing.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
-
The booing of Israeli athletes fits into a pattern Jews recognize all too well.—
Rabbi Bruce D. Forman,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Other ingredients sit in a bubbling pot.—
Imelda García,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
In other parts of the country, popular anger is bubbling to the surface.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The multi-vehicle pile-up that ensues might go even dumber than a Rusko drop, yet there’s no escaping the anxiety that remains in the static hiss that closes the track.—
James Gui,
Pitchfork,
6 Feb. 2026
-
By using studio-grade microphones, the earbuds can feed the surrounding soundscape directly into the listener’s ears with a sense of realism that’s free from any hiss or distortion.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
On the final whistle, Vinicius Jr shook hands with some opposition players, including goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
And the whistle, which activists blow to warn of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents’ presence, was emerging as a powerful symbol of community solidarity against ICE.—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
My child attended daycare and summer programs at Pillsbury United Communities center just four blocks away, where a multiracial cohort of kids happily play through the winter, swishing around in bulky jackets and snow pants, bouncing towards their parents.—
Bao Phi,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Sure, the scatalogical title and prurient lyrics reflected the band's age — Armstrong was fresh out of his teens at the time — but its punk sneer was rooted in sophisticated songcraft.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The obsequiousness, the sneers, the boasting, the vacant generalities, and the hand-waving bespeak fear of departing from the Trumpian orthodoxy of the moment.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
One of the best halfpipe freeskiers in the world, Hess, 27, throws 1620s, double cork 1260s, triple corks and a wild array of other flips, twists, grabs and upside-down or sideways midair tricks — on skis — while whizzing up and down the 22-foot-high walls of an icy halfpipe.—
Gretchen Reynolds,
Washington Post,
18 Feb. 2026
-
And for supervising sound editor Al Nelson, now Oscar-nominated for his work on the film, that meant getting up close and personal to the powerful cars whizzing around corners on the tracks.—
Beatrice Verhoeven,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
And Nix, often with a smirk, will return the volley.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The bus drivers do nothing to enforce the rules, and we seniors are left trudging down the bus aisle while the people in the seats smirk, look at their phones and talk to each other.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hissing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hissing. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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