What does hushing mean?
“Hushing” is the present participle of “hush” and also functions as a noun. Verbally, it describes an action that quiets a person or group, often by producing a sudden hush: “The conductor was hushing the noisy audience.” It can also describe people becoming or being made silent. As a noun, “hushing” refers to the quality of that silence, especially the sudden muffling of a crowd or group. The word is useful because it captures both an active effort to reduce noise and the resulting atmosphere of restraint. It is common in British and American English, ranging from conversational descriptions of children falling quiet to more formal accounts of a speaker calming an audience. Its basic connotation is ordered quiet rather than merely the absence of sound.
To make a person, group, or place quiet, or to become quiet.
"She spoke softly, hushing the children as they approached the sleeping baby."
Often used with “the crowd,” “the audience,” or a group of people; it may imply a request rather than a forceful command.
A sudden quieting or silencing of people, especially a group or crowd.
"A respectful hushing passed through the gathering as the ceremony began."
Relatively uncommon compared with the verbal participle, but established in both formal and literary English.
The plural is grammatically possible but rare; the noun is usually used in the singular or in constructions such as “a sudden hushing.”
"The successive hushings of the audience followed each announcement."
A single quiet command can transform a noisy crowd: hush falls, and a room of hundreds suddenly falls silent.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hushing come from?
“Hushing” derives from the verb “hush,” whose precise origin is uncertain but is commonly associated with an imitative or quieting sound. The verb appeared in English by the early modern period and was already established in forms such as the past tense and past participle “hushed.” The gerund “hushing” developed as the form expressing an ongoing quieting action or the resulting state of silence.
Related word forms
How hushing is actually used
The verbal form is common in both formal and informal English. The noun is less frequent and usually describes the collective quieting of people rather than the act of silencing someone directly.