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definitions

hissing

[ his-ing ]
/ ˈhɪs ɪŋ /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hissing ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of emitting a hiss.
the sound of a hiss.
Archaic. an occasion or object of scorn.

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RELATED WORDS

spit, whisper, jeer, hoot, whistle, seethe, boo, wheeze, whirr, blow, revile, sibilate, disapprove, deride, decry, whiz, mock, rasp, damn, catcall

Nearby words

  1. hispidulous,
  2. hiss,
  3. hiss, alger,
  4. hissarlik,
  5. hisself,
  6. hissingly,
  7. hissy,
  8. hissy fit,
  9. hist,
  10. hist-

Origin of hissing

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at hiss, -ing1

hiss

[ his ]
/ hɪs /

verb (used without object)

to make or emit a sharp sound like that of the letter s prolonged, as a snake does, or as steam does when forced under pressure through a small opening.
to express disapproval or contempt by making this sound: The audience hissed when the actor forgot his lines.

verb (used with object)

to express disapproval of by hissing: The audience hissed the controversial play.
to silence or drive away by hissing (usually followed by away, down, etc.): They hissed down the author when he tried to speak.
to utter with a hiss.

noun

a hissing sound, especially one made in disapproval.

Origin of hiss

1350–1400; Middle English hissen; probably imitative; compare Old English hyscan to jeer at, rail (derivative of husc jeering; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German hosc)
Related formshiss·er, nounhiss·ing·ly, adverbout·hiss, verb (used with object)un·hissed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hissing

British Dictionary definitions for hissing

hiss

/ (hɪs) /

noun

a voiceless fricative sound like that of a prolonged s
such a sound uttered as an exclamation of derision, contempt, etc, esp by an audience or crowd
electronics receiver noise with a continuous spectrum, caused by thermal agitation, shot noise, etc

interjection

an exclamation of derision or disapproval

verb

Derived Formshisser, noun

Word Origin for hiss

C14: of imitative origin

Hiss

/ (hɪs) /

noun

Alger. 1904–96, US government official: imprisoned (1950–54) for perjury in connection with alleged espionage activities
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for hissing
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper