Synonyms

hushed

American

[huhsht] / hʌʃt /

adjective

(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

hushedly adverb

Etymology

Origin of hushed

First recorded in 1600–10; hush ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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.

Aolani “Lani” Alarcon approached the mic to hushed voices.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2026

Later, in the airport terminal, a slim, silver-haired conference attendee confirmed the snippets of hushed chatter I’d overheard in the Bellagio’s hallways.

From Slate • Jan. 13, 2026

Japan's emperor is generally treated with hushed reverence, but one man stripped away all decorum -- quite literally -- during a New Year's event on Friday, local media reported.

From Barron's • Jan. 2, 2026

Rob said Dianne hushed him out of the room, burst into tears and said "I can't do it."

From BBC • Dec. 24, 2025

I laughed, but we hushed when Holly cleared her throat.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry

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