hush

1 of 3

verb

ˈhəsh 

hushed; hushing; hushes

transitive verb

1

: calm, quiet

hushed the children as they entered the library

2

: to put at rest : mollify

3

: to keep from public knowledge : suppress

hush the story up

intransitive verb

: to become quiet

hush

2 of 3

adjective

1

archaic : silent, still

2

: intended to prevent the dissemination of certain information

hush money

hush

3 of 3

noun

: a silence or calm especially following noise : quiet

Synonyms of hush

Verb

• cool
• settle (down)

Noun

• restfulness
• quiet
• serenity
• quietness
• sereneness
• silence
• calm

Examples of hush in a Sentence

Verb

The woman in the seat behind me was trying to hush her baby.

The judge hushed the spectators.

The spectators hushed as the judge entered the courtroom.

Noun

the storm passed, and a hush fell over the sea

a hush fell over the auditorium as the lights went down

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The park has already taken some steps to hush their new attraction. — Lynette Rice, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026

His lead trial attorney, Edward Bilinkas, a dapper New Jersey man then nearing seventy, had the courtroom delivery of a schoolteacher trying to hush nonsense at the back of the class by raising his own voice. — Ian Parker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

Adjective

The couple — who live in a quiet Rome neighborhood — kept hush about the wedding plan details, sharing with Vogue earlier this month only that a date was set for September. — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Stern, who didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, had called the lawsuit a shakedown, accusing Kuhn of attempting to extract a hush-money payment from him and his production company. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026

Noun

Reporting from Re'im, Israel A hush fills the place that three years ago was bursting with music and dancing. — Charlene Gubash, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2026

As Bijan Robinson raced down the sideline and the rest of his Falcons teammates sprinted in pursuit, a mixture of an eerie hush and a stunned buzz fell over Caesars Superdome from a crowd still not entirely settled in its seats. — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

back-formation from husht hushed, from Middle English hussht, from huissht, interjection used to enjoin silence

First Known Use

Verb

1546, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adjective

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1650, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing hush

• hush-hush
• hush money
• hush puppy
• hush up
• hush up (someone or something)

Rhymes for hush

• blush
• brush
• crush
• flush
• gush
• lush
• mush
• plush
• shush
• slush
• thrush
• airbrush

Kids Definition

hush

1 of 2 verb

ˈhəsh 

1

: to make quiet, calm, or still : soothe

hush a baby

2

: to become quiet

3

: to keep from public knowledge : suppress

hush up the crime

hush

2 of 2 noun

: a silence or calm especially following noise