What does hissing mean?
Hissing describes a sharp, sibilant sound made by escaping steam, disturbed snakes, angry people, or other sources. As a verb, “to hiss” can describe either making that sound or reacting to someone with a mixture of anger, contempt, and dismissive disapproval. The word is especially associated with the warning sound of snakes and the noise of a kettle or radiator nearing boiling, but it also covers the reaction of an audience united in disapproval. Because the sound carries a strong emotional charge, figurative uses of hissing tend to suggest hostility rather than simple noise. The verb normally takes an indirect object when meaning to show disapproval, as in “the crowd hissed at the speaker,” while “hiss something” more commonly means to direct a hissing sound toward it. Hissing is both vivid and readily understood in British and American English.
To produce a sharp, sibilant sound, or to express anger, contempt, or dismissal by making such a sound.
"The snake hissed as the hikers approached it."
Figurative uses often imply public disapproval or a hostile warning.
A sharp, sibilant sound; also an expression of anger, contempt, or dismissal communicated through such a sound.
"There was a hissing from the back of the theatre."
The sound is often treated as a mass noun, though the plural “hissings” is also used for separate instances of the sound.
The plural is uncommon; the singular is generally preferred when referring to the sound itself.
"The hissings of the crowd filled the theatre."
A kettle begins to hiss as steam bubbles form, giving an everyday sound a name that imitates the noise itself.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Words that share this root
Related word forms
How hissing is actually used
Hissing is neutral in regional usage. Literally, it describes a sustained or repeated sibilant sound; figuratively, it denotes a conspicuous expression of hostility, anger, or contempt.