Etymology
Origin of hissing
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at hiss, -ing 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One of my daughters and I once wanted to keep some Madagascar hissing cockroaches as pets, only to be vetoed by my wife.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
The offenders were stopped in their tracks by audience members shushing - some even hissing - or having a quiet word, but in each case it still momentarily broke the spell of the film.
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
A slow, steady hissing noise comes from the table, similar to air leaking from a tire.
From Science Daily • Nov. 24, 2025
Pugh said he heard hissing before the explosion and then a roaring sound similar to a freight train that lasted for about 30 minutes.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2025
Even farther in, the silence was broken by a cacophony of strange sounds—the skittering of rats; hissing steam; the hollow, recurring tap of pipes, like the desperate scratching of a premature burial.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
