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.
In Ankara, Turkish riders on horseback flanked Trump's limousine as it drove through the hushed streets to the presidential palace where an honour guard in red and blue uniforms greeted him.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
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
The two stood side by side, the badger and the fox, the fox and the badger, hushed by the magnificence.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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.
