hush-hush
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of hush-hush
First recorded in 1915–20; reduplication based on hush
Vocabulary lists containing hush-hush
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.
The hush-hush raves that require knowing someone and slinking into condemned warehouses have always happened alongside parties thrown by big-name promoters.
From Slate • Jun. 25, 2026
Gerko often posts acerbic barbs on LinkedIn about XTX’s rivals, making him an unusually vocal figure in the hush-hush world of computerized traders.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
Sides said the whole experience was "hush-hush" and all she had been told was that the job involved recreating a dance competition.
From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026
“Growing up, death was such a hush-hush thing,” she says.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 24, 2023
Graduation, the hush-hush magic time of frills and gifts and congratulations and diplomas, was finished for me before my name was called.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
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.
