shush

American  

[shuhsh, shoosh] / ʃʌʃ, ʃʊʃ /

interjection

1. hush (used as a command to be quiet or silent).

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verb (used with object)

1. to order (someone or something) to be silent; hush.

shush British  

/ ʃʊʃ /

interjection

1. be quiet! hush!

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verb

1. to silence or calm (someone) by or as if by saying "shush"

Other Word Forms

• shusher
  noun

Etymology

Origin of shush

First recorded in 1920–25; imitative

Explanation

To shush is to urge someone else to be quiet. If you burst out laughing in the library, the librarian will almost certainly come over and shush you. A babysitter will shush a rowdy kid whose younger sibling is taking a nap, a teacher will shush a chattering class when they're supposed to be focused on their work, and a train conductor might shush you if you're talking on your mobile phone in the quiet car. This imitative word sounds just like the sound you make when you implore another person to quiet down. You can even use it as a command: "Shush! I can't hear the TV!"

Example Sentences

Our scouting that week began in Shush, a small village that is the project’s current trailhead.

From New York Times • Apr. 20, 2022

Shush every cousin who talks too much during this explanation.

From Slate • Nov. 28, 2018

When the crowd booed that only silver lining in Reed’s morning of dark clouds, he responded by playing the pantomime villain, with a finger in front of his lips: Shush!

From Washington Times • Sep. 29, 2018

"Shush," says Howard, raising a conspiratorial finger to his lips.

From The Guardian • Feb. 17, 2013

"Shush, man, Jazz is asleep," I whispered while unlocking and cracking the door.

From "When I Was the Greatest" by Jason Reynolds