hiss 1 of 2

1
as in whistle
a sound similar to the speech sound \s\ stretched out the hiss of air escaping from a balloon

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2
as in snort
a vocal sound made to express scorn or disapproval there was a chorus of boos and hisses from the fans when the umpire called the runner out

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hiss

2 of 2

verb

as in to bubble
to make a sound like that of stretching out the speech sound \s\ the frightened kitten hissed at us when we tried to pick it up

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hiss
Verb
On opening night, the audience at St. Petersburg’s Alexandrinsky Theatre were mystified by The Seagull’s neither wholly comic nor wholly tragic tone, hissing and heckling throughout, with Chekhov fleeing from the gallery after the second act. Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 12 Feb. 2025 Ross Crates, an ecologist at the Australian National University who was not involved in the study, noted that other research had shown that some birds hissed to ward off predators to their nests. Kate Golembiewski, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2025 The hissing wind pushed black smoke down Temescal Canyon, sending residents choking toward the beach. Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025 The feline appears to hiss at the newcomers, according to another note overlaid on the clip. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hiss
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hiss
Noun
  • Wear a personal flotation device and bring a watercraft and whistle.
    Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Fortunately, a high-level civil servant has blown the whistle and set the record straight.
    Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Some friends prescribed a healthy snort of bourbon and a trip to the doctor.
    Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2025
  • There was always laughter, followed up by an occasional snort sometimes!
    Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Tensions bubbled over at Don Callejon School as attendees voiced their concerns about the Trump administration’s recent actions and executive orders and Elon Musk’s surging power in the White House.
    Grace Hase, Mercury News, 31 Mar. 2025
  • The mixture should bubble vigorously and not produce a smell other than the smell of vinegar.
    Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 29 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The pebbled leather is durable and won’t easily scuff, while the divider zip pocket makes organizing a breeze.
    Megan Schaltegger, People.com, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Instead, left-turn drivers queued off to the side can turn while through traffic zips across the main intersection.
    John Aguilar, The Denver Post, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Despite the show's ruminations revolving around Dorian's ego, there is no vanity in this performance where Snook sweats, sneers, and dashes across stage.
    Shania Russell, EW.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • One is Giovanni Battista Moroni’s Portrait of a Woman (ca. 1575), in which a leery-eyed woman stares down at her viewer, pressing her lips into the faintest of sneers.
    Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The market is so deep in the hole that the S & P 500 could rebound by 10% and merely touch its 20-day moving average, an area where snapback bounces in downtrends often fizzle.
    Michael Santoli, CNBC, 5 Apr. 2025
  • But Everton got worse as the game progressed, their threat fizzling out.
    Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Here are six real books coming out this week, with dust jackets that reflect their real contents: mysteries and mishaps, often told with a sly smirk.
    Colin Dwyer, NPR, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Hartford Courant Bueckers took and hit the 3-pointer with a shrug and a smirk.
    Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • In a third quarter run that saw the Gamecocks outscore the Hoosiers 20-7, Oregon transfer Te-Hina Paopao had Colonial Life Arena jumping swishing a deep three pointer.
    Allison Smith, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
  • On the ensuing offensive possession, Howell spotted up, gathered a pass and swished one of his eight made 3-pointers on the season.
    Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hiss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hiss. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.

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