hush
B1Informal, but can be used in formal contexts in certain phrases (e.g., 'hush money'). Often used in spoken language, storytelling, and with children.
Definition
Meaning
to make someone or something become silent or quiet, often by saying 'hush' or by soothing.
A state or period of silence, calm, or secrecy; also used as an interjection to demand quiet. The adjective 'hush-hush' means secret or confidential.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often carries a connotation of soothing, calming, or suppressing noise, rather than just commanding silence. Can imply secrecy or concealment.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is very similar. 'Hush' as a verb (to hush a baby) is slightly more common in UK narratives. The compound 'hush-hush' (adj.) is equally used. The noun 'hush' (a sudden silence) is standard in both.
Connotations
In both varieties, it has gentle, sometimes old-fashioned or literary connotations. The phrase 'hush money' is a strong legal/criminal term in both.
Frequency
Moderate and comparable frequency in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[V] (intransitive): The audience hushed.[V n] (transitive): She hushed the children.[V n with quote]: 'Hush,' he whispered.[V n adj]: He hushed her quiet.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “hush money”
- “hush-hush”
- “hush puppies”
- “a hush fell over the room”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in 'hush-hush project' (confidential).
Academic
Rare in formal writing; may appear in literary analysis or historical narrative.
Everyday
Common for asking for quiet, especially with children. 'Hush, you'll wake the baby.'
Technical
Not used.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Do hush now, there's a good chap.
- She managed to hush the toddler's tantrum with a biscuit.
- The speaker hushed the murmurs with a raised hand.
American English
- Hush up, I'm trying to hear the game.
- The mayor tried to hush the scandal before the election.
- Can you hush the dog? It's barking at the mailman.
adverb
British English
- They crept hush into the sleeping house.
American English
- She said it hush, so only I could hear.
adjective
British English
- The meeting was terribly hush-hush; we weren't allowed to take notes.
- They spoke in hush tones by the sickbed.
American English
- The project details are hush-hush for now.
- A hush voice came from the other side of the door.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Hush! The film is starting.
- The baby is sleeping, please be hush.
- A sudden hush fell over the classroom when the headteacher entered.
- She hushed her friend so she could hear the announcement.
- The government was accused of paying hush money to the witness.
- The details of the merger are still hush-hush.
- He attempted to hush up the financial irregularities, but the auditor discovered them.
- The eerie hush of the forest at dusk was broken only by the call of an owl.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a librarian putting a finger to her lips and saying 'HUSH!' – the 'SH' sound is the sound of whispering for silence.
Conceptual Metaphor
SILENCE IS A COVER/BLANKET ('A hush fell over the crowd'). NOISE IS A LIQUID THAT CAN BE STILLED ('He hushed the murmuring').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'push' or 'rush'. The 'u' is /ʌ/ as in 'cup'.
- The verb 'to hush' is more specific than просто 'молчать' (to be silent); it means 'to make silent' or 'to become silent'.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: *'Hush down!' (Correct: 'Hush!' or 'Quiet down!').
- Incorrect use of tense: *'He hushed the baby to slept.' (Correct: 'He hushed the baby to sleep.').
Practice
Quiz
Which phrase specifically refers to money paid to ensure someone's silence?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, while common with children, it can be used for crowds, animals, noise, or to describe a sudden silence ('a hush fell').
They are very similar interjections. 'Shush' is more onomatopoeic (imitating the sound) and is almost exclusively an interjection/command. 'Hush' can be a verb, noun, and adjective as well.
It is generally informal or literary. In formal writing, 'quiet', 'silence', or 'quieten' are often preferred, except in fixed phrases like 'hush money'.
Yes, e.g., 'There was a hushed silence' is common, and the noun 'hush' itself is used, as in 'A deathly hush filled the room.'
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