hushed
Americanadjective
-
(of speech) deliberately quiet, especially when silence is prudent, respectful, or requested.
Only an occasional whisper could be heard among our hushed voices.
-
(of a place or situation) having a calm silence, often because those in attendance are being respectful or are waiting to hear something: sitting nervously in the hushed courtroom.
the hushed galleries of a museum;
sitting nervously in the hushed courtroom.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hushed
First recorded in 1600–10; hush ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )
Vocabulary lists containing hushed
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 walls carry bottles, cans, jars, and echo hushed conversation.
From Salon • Jun. 23, 2026
You could only hear her offer a hushed “no” because the room had never been more silent.
From Slate • Jun. 16, 2026
Chung speaks in a low, hushed tone, but to accommodate Klugo, he becomes a bit louder — though not too loud to give away their attack plans to their opponents.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026
She remembers feeling "something was not right" and describes the theatre room as hushed, with "no one was really talking" until "an alarm went off".
From BBC • May 11, 2026
There’s something so deeply satisfying about the hushed sharing of information.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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.
