verb / noun / interjection

hush

HUHSH/hʌʃ/

Silence or the act of making or becoming quiet.

The man hushes the woman, pointing toward the sleeping baby.

A man hushes a nearby woman with an unmistakable finger-to-lips gesture while pointing toward a sleeping baby; she stops her animated conversation and closes her mouth.

Etymology

The earlier huisht was probably imitative in origin. Its soft hissing sound may have suited quieting someone because it could be uttered very faintly, making the sound itself a signal for silence.

In context

Libranima128:21

Hush, Sancho, said Don Quixote in a weak and faint voice, hush and utter no blasphemies against that enchanted lady

Don Quixote - Cervantes (Illustrated Audiobook) Part 3 of 4

More examples

She hushes the baby with a soft lullaby.
The children hush when their teacher starts to speak.
"Hush! I hear someone at the door," he whispers.

Forms

hush · hushes · hushed · hushing

Similar words

silence: Emphasizes a complete absence of sound or stopping speech.
quiet: Can mean reduced noise rather than complete silence.
shush: Usually means telling someone to stop talking or making noise.