shush
Definition
- Verb:
- To urge or request someone to be quiet, typically by saying the interjection "shush!".
- To make or become silent or quiet.
Usage
- The verb shush is used as a command or request for silence. It is often considered an onomatopoeic word, imitating the sound used to quiet someone.
- It is a transitive verb, meaning it acts upon a direct object (the person or people being quieted).
- It is commonly used in informal contexts, especially when asking for quiet in a library, theater, or during a performance.
Examples
- Verb:
- The librarian had to shush the noisy students.
- "Please shush," she whispered, "the movie is starting."
- He was shushed by the audience when he spoke during the concert.
Advanced Usage
- "to shush someone up": An informal phrasal verb meaning to make someone stop talking.
- She tried to shush him up before he revealed the secret.
Variants and Related Words
- Shushing (n/adj): The act of telling someone to be quiet, or making a "shush" sound.
- The constant shushing in the library was distracting.
- Shush (interjection): The exclamation itself, used to command silence.
- Shush! I can't hear the speaker.
Synonyms
- Quiet: To make or become quiet.
- Hush: To make silent or quiet (very similar in meaning and usage).
- Silence: To cause to become silent.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Shush up: (informal) To stop talking or to make someone stop talking.
- I wish he would shush up for a minute.
Related Idioms
- While there are no common idioms centered solely on the verb shush, the interjection "Shush!" is a standalone idiom used to demand immediate silence.
Verb
-
silence (someone) by uttering `shush!'
