Word
shh
US/ʃ/
UK/ˌɛsˌeɪtʃˈeɪtʃ/
Definition
interj. a sound you make to tell someone to be quiet. You use it when you want silence or to keep a secret.
interj. an utterance used to command silence or to request that someone speak more softly. Often used to signal the need for discretion or to maintain a quiet environment.
Examples
“Shh, the baby is finally sleeping.”
“The librarian turned to the group of students and whispered, 'Shh, people are trying to study'.”
“Shh, don't let them hear us approaching the surprise party before we are ready to jump out.”
Examples
simple
“Shh, the baby is finally sleeping.”
contextual
“The librarian turned to the group of students and whispered, 'Shh, people are trying to study'.”
complex
“Shh, don't let them hear us approaching the surprise party before we are ready to jump out.”
Usage
Often used as a standalone command or placed at the beginning of a sentence to establish immediate silence.
Etymology
From hush. Likely imitative of a nonverbal utterance. Compare Scots whisht (“hush!”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/shh