shush

American

[shuhsh, shoosh] / ʃʌʃ, ʃʊʃ /

interjection

hush (used as a command to be quiet or silent).

verb (used with object)

to order (someone or something) to be silent; hush.

shush British

/ ʃʊʃ /

interjection

be quiet! hush!

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

to silence or calm (someone) by or as if by saying "shush"

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

shusher noun

Etymology

Origin of shush

First recorded in 1920–25; imitative

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.

That’s where finding a quiet space to meditate or write in her journal helped shush McClernon’s self-doubt.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 8, 2024

US President Joe Biden told a climate heckler to "shush up" after they interrupted a speech he was giving in Arizona.

From BBC • Sep. 29, 2023

When Newkirk continued, Mr. Biden responded: “I’ll tell you what, if you shush up, I’ll meet with you immediately after this, OK?”

From Washington Times • Sep. 29, 2023

But though we may be cheering, we’re also simultaneously trying to shush the cynical voice buried inside us.

From Washington Post • Apr. 16, 2023

Katherine is whispering much too loud, and I shush her.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

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