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.
To the uninitiated, cross-country skiing looks like a graceful, rhythmic activity set against a hushed winter landscape.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026
Aolani “Lani” Alarcon approached the mic to hushed voices.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 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
I hushed them as best I could, throwing a reproachful glance at my husband for his careless words, but he was unnoticing, sunk in hatred and helplessness.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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.
