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Glite Dictionary
hissing

hissing

22 2.6
A long sharp s sound made by animals, objects, or people to show disapproval
  • noun
  • /ˈhɪsɪŋ/
: siseo
  • As the steam escaped, it made a persistent hissing sound that filled the room.

Can you hear, without seeing what's far away, the hissing of space between atoms?

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Examples

  • All was silent except for the hissing of the stove.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • I almost expected hissing noises when this rain made contact with the remains.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Now I'm hearing hissing sound like a gas trying to escape.

  • The air filled with a hissing roar that drowned out even the screams of the birds.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • The sound of hissing filled my ears; moisture beaded my face and dampened my hair.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • The creatures snarled, a low reptilian hissing sound, and leapt back among the ferns.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • The hellish mailroom is crisscrossed by pipes that emit hissing jets of steam.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Bawling cattle milling in the pens south of Big Whiskey, and the train hissing and steaming at a standstill.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Jansky's task was to investigate the cacophony of hissing, crackling noises that interfered with transatlantic radio telephone communications.

    Academic text (1991)

  • The audience responded with a loud hissing at the controversial speaker.

Synonyms

hiss
vshissing
24 1.1

A sharp, high sound like a snake or from people showing disapproval

is a prolonged sharp s sound often used to show disapproval
sibilance
vshissing
  • Specialized
1 7.6

A sharp hissing sound in speech or recordings from s and sh sounds

is a prolonged sharp s sound rather than broader audio noise
sibilant
vshissing
  • Specialized
1 8.3

A speech sound that makes a hissing noise like s

is the continuous audible sound itself, not a consonant label
sibilation
vshissing
9.9

A hissing sound someone makes when they speak

is the sustained sound itself rather than the speaking action

Antonyms

applause
285 1.0

Clapping hands to show you like or approve something

cheer
127 1.0

A loud shout people make to show approval or support

Compounds

hissing hot
1 6.5

Very hot and making a sharp steam sound, like food from the oven or a pan

How Loud

screech
21 2.9
hissing
22 2.6
rustle
10 4.4
whisper
126 1.0

Surface Forms

hissing singular
hissings plural

Morphology

hissing = hiss (transparent) = hiss + ing

Direct deverbal noun from 'hiss' with the productive English suffix '-ing', so the meaning is obvious from the base.

Etymology

The word hissing comes from the simple sound word hiss, which copies the sharp 's' noise a snake or a tired machine makes. So, hissing means a long 's' sound you hear as a sign of disapproval or as a natural, sharp noise.