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to hush

to hush

33 3.4
Make a person or thing quiet so others stop making noise
  • verb
  • /hʌʃ/
translation icon : callar
  • The librarian asked us to hush so that everyone could read quietly.

I made him go hush by putting some Ambien in the dinner mush.

Examples

  • I struggled to sit up, started to protest, but he hushed me and told me to lie back down.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • That's enough, you hush up!

  • Hang on, hush up for just a minute.

  • - You hush your mouth!

  • - And maybe you should hush your mouth and let me do the thinking.

  • My mother immediately turned to hush my sister and Elizabeth before they had even a chance to comment.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • - They're having fun, now hush up.

  • But they all instantly hushed and hovered in one spot when the dragon showed up.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The snow fell around us, hushing all sound, except my mother's faint cries from the house.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Wendy started to say something, but Marissa hushed her with a raised hand, indicating Cyrill had answered.

    Fiction book (1991)

Synonyms

to shut up
vsto hush
  • Offensive
4.1

Tell someone to be quiet in a rude or angry way

is neutral and can be used politely to ask for silence
to be quiet
vsto hush
231 1.0

To stop making noise or talking

can also mean calming sounds rather than only stopping speech
to silence
vsto hush
169 3.5

To stop someone from speaking or making noise

is less forceful and can mean becoming quiet without coercion
to keep quiet
vsto hush
90 2.5

To say nothing or not tell a secret

is typically an action to quiet sounds rather than hide facts
to quiet
vsto hush
68 3.2

To make someone or something calm and less noisy

is more about causing immediate silence rather than general calm
to quiet down
vsto hush
  • Informal
42 2.0

Make people or things less noisy and less active

often signals immediate silence or a quick quieting action
to pipe down
vsto hush
  • Informal
35 7.1

To become quiet or tell someone to stop making noise

is more neutral and can be gentler than blunt commands
to shush
vsto hush
  • Informal
31 5.5

Tell someone to be quiet by making a soft 'shh' sound

is similar but is not limited to using a single sound cue
to still
vsto hush
12 4.2

To make quiet or calm

is narrowly about making silence rather than soothing movement
to shut one's mouth
vsto hush
  • Informal
4 4.4

To stop talking to keep a secret or when told to be quiet

is used more generally to quiet people without secrecy implications
to quieten
vsto hush
3 4.6

Make someone or something less noisy and calmer

focuses on making silence rather than calming atmosphere
to hush up
vsto hush
  • Informal
2 5.0

Make someone stop talking and be quiet

is the same meaning but appears as a phrasal alternative
to keep (someone's) voice down
vsto hush
  • Informal
3.4

Speak quietly so you do not disturb others

is about complete silence rather than just reducing speaking volume
to shh
vsto hush
  • Informal
8.3

Tell someone to be quiet by making a soft sound with your mouth

covers general quieting actions beyond a gentle noise signal
to whush
vsto hush
  • UK
9.9

To tell someone quietly to stop talking

applies broadly to quieting, not only gentle signals
to wheesht
vsto hush
  • UK
9.9

To tell someone to be quiet in a soft voice

is a general quieting term not tied to a regional expression
to belt up
vsto hush
  • Offensive
9.2

To tell someone to stop talking and be quiet

is a neutral act of quieting rather than an impolite command

Antonyms

644 1.0

To speak very loudly to get attention or show strong feeling

Idioms

on the hush
  • Informal
1 8.6

In secret and quietly so nobody finds out

Phrasal Verbs

to hush up
  • Informal
2 5.0

Make someone stop talking and be quiet

to hush up
  • Informal
2 7.2

Stop people finding out about a mistake, crime, or embarrassing event

Compounds

20 6.3

Money paid to someone to keep quiet about a secret that could cause trouble

hush-hush
  • Informal
13 7.5

People keep it secret from most others to avoid being noticed

4 5.3

A small deep-fried ball made from cornmeal with spices served as a side

How Quiet

to silence
169 3.5
to hush
33 3.4
to quieten
3 4.6
to shush
  • Informal
31 5.5

Surface Forms

hush infinitive
hushed past
hushed past participle
hushing present participle
hushes third person singular

Etymology

Hush comes from the soft sound people make, like 'shh', so to hush someone is to make them quiet.