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
- hushedly adverb
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 most powerful car in the company’s history, the Black Badge Spectre is hushed and refined.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
"Right now I think we just need something positive," the 38-year-old Black woman and Virginia native told AFP moments later in a hushed voice.
From Barron's • Feb. 3, 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
It was only after assurances that their identities would be kept anonymous that some men agreed to be interviewed, speaking in hushed tones.
From BBC • Dec. 28, 2025
“She remembers,” he says in a hushed tone.
From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya
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.
