hem

Examples

• All

• Mona cleared her throat with an authoritative ah-hem.

  Fiction book (2000)

• "Hem."

  The Star (2017)

• They give me the double blank or they just look at me blankly or they hem and Haw trying to think of something off the fly.

• Economists repeatedly hem and haw about sunk costs and the instability of the net-metering financing model.

  Blog text (14)

• Hem... I must say, that was quite an unexpected turn of events.

• Before starting his presentation, he cleared his throat with a hesitant hem.

• As she entered the room, she gave a slight hem to gather everyone's attention.

Synonyms

A

ah

vshem

• Informal

744 2.4

A short sound people make when they hesitate or think

is a throat-clearing sound used to attract attention or show embarrassment

U

uhhh

vshem

• Informal

17 9.9

A sound people make when they hesitate while speaking

is a throat-clearing sound used to attract attention or show embarrassment

B

buh

vshem

• Informal

8 9.9

A short unsure sound you make when you search for words

is a throat-clearing sound used to attract attention or show embarrassment

U

uhhhh

vshem

• Informal

3 9.9

A sound people make when they hesitate or think

is a throat-clearing sound used to attract attention or show embarrassment

A

ahem

vshem

3 9.3

A short throat sound people make to get attention or show hesitation

is the same sound but is an alternative written or spoken form

U

umm

vshem

• Informal

2 9.8

A short sound people use to show they are unsure while speaking

is a throat-clearing sound used to attract attention or show embarrassment

E

ehhh

vshem

• Informal

1 9.9

A hesitation sound people make when they think or search for words

is a throat-clearing sound used to attract attention or show embarrassment

Antonyms

S

silence

660 2.0

A period with no sound or speech

Idioms

T

to touch the hem of someone's garment

• Archaic

9.9

Ask an important person for help or a blessing

How Noticeable

cough

271 1.0

to clear the throat

2.7

ahem

3 9.3

hem

3 8.4

murmur

36 4.1

Surface Forms

Etymology