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.
But one of the earliest signs may be something unexpected: a persistent ringing, buzzing, or hissing sound that no one else can hear.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 10, 2026
The cistern on my toilet has been constantly refilling and making a hissing noise, so I asked a plumbing company to send someone over.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 10, 2026
They found Madagascar "hissing" cockroaches, a bulky insect named for its noisy defence mechanism, and dubia cockroaches, an invasive critter bred as a snack for pet lizards.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
Kristen Adam’s softly textured watercolors convey the dreamy quality of days spent on a beach, fine-grained sand underfoot and crisp blue waves hissing against the shore.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
But this real ocean is a giant snake that never stops hissing.
From "Born Behind Bars" by Padma Venkatraman
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.
