hmm

British

/ mm /

interjection

a sound made when considering or puzzling over something

"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

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.

"I think about God and about fate. My fate is… hmm… I don't know," he said, explaining that he sometimes pictured himself after the war was over.

From BBC • Feb. 23, 2024

We dug right in and said, "hmm ..." pretty much right away.

From Salon • Feb. 21, 2024

But which sedimentary rock is that metamorphic rock derived from, hmm?

From Slate • Jan. 12, 2024

In Mozambique, Yao honey-hunters do so with a trilled "Brr! ..." followed by a guttural " ... hmm!"

From Science Daily • Dec. 7, 2023

“Maybe, hmm, maybe...if you’re okay with mentoring with someone outside of school?”

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023