to hem
8.0
To make a short throat-clearing sound to get attention or show hesitation
- verb
- /hɛm/
:
carraspear
- And we are trying to figure out whether or not we should do a Zoom birthday or a in person birthday and kind of hemmed and hard about it.
Examples
-
He hemmed quietly to get the speaker's attention.
-
Before answering the question, she hemmed to buy some time.
-
As he hemmed into the microphone, the audience turned to look at him.
Synonyms
to haw
vsto hem
6
9.9
To say 'haw' when you hesitate while speaking
is used to attract attention or clear the throat rather than hesitate
1
9.8
To clear your throat with a short gruff sound to show annoyance or disapproval
is a short quiet throat sound used to attract attention
Antonyms
Idioms
Phrasal Verbs
to hem and haw
- Informal
3
8.4
To speak slowly and pause instead of answering clearly because you feel unsure
to whipstitch the hem
- Specialized
8.7
To sew the folded edge of cloth by hand with small stitches over it
How Noticeable
Surface Forms
Etymology
The verb hem meaning 'make a short throat sound' comes from the imitating noise ahem, the quick clearing of the throat people use to attract attention. That's why to hem is to make that short sound to get noticed or buy a moment while speaking.