ahem

interjection

a throat-​clearing sound; often read as

ə-ˈhem 

—used especially to attract attention or to express disapproval or embarrassment

Examples of ahem in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Terry Leather, The Bank Job The Bank Job — about the 1971 robbery of the contents of hundreds of safe deposit boxes in a London bank, including one that supposedly contained, ahem, compromising photos of Princess Margaret — is loosely based on a true story. —Rebecca Pahle, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2025

Marriott Bonvoy Moments are experiences—like, ahem, a VIP hookup at Stagecoach—that members can purchase using just their points. —Glamour, 11 Mar. 2025

Indeed, devoted fans of the Murphy movies — especially the more, ahem, mature viewers — likely will be willing to overlook some of the messy violence and salty language to relish this trip in the wayback machine. —Joe Leydon, Variety, 13 June 2025

There’s a dozen UPA players opted out of MLP at this point, some of whom flourished in the MLP format (ahem, Julian Arnold), so what’s a couple more? —Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

imitative

First Known Use

1603, in the meaning defined above