hushed

[ huhsht ]

adjective

1. (of speech) deliberately quiet, especially when silence is prudent, respectful, or requested:

   Only an occasional whisper could be heard among our hushed voices.

2. (of a place or situation) having a calm silence, often because those in attendance are being respectful or are waiting to hear something: sitting nervously in the hushed courtroom.

   the hushed galleries of a museum;

   sitting nervously in the hushed courtroom.

Other Words From

• hush·ed·ly [huhsh, -id-lee, huhsht, -lee], adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of hushed¹

First recorded in 1600–10; hush ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

He arrived on scene at 09:30 GMT but it was a further five hours before a hushed murmur rippled through the crowd, signalling the bird had become visible.

From BBC

Anxious faces and hushed talk spread through the crowd as the night stretched on and the tightness of the race became apparent.

From Los Angeles Times

On the darkest night of their season last week, the Dodgers didn’t linger in their hushed home clubhouse.

From Los Angeles Times

Luka Modric was a fairly hushed presence for 45 minutes and even though his influence grew, this was not the Modric show we've seen before against Scotland.

From BBC

Shell-shocked residents gathered in the lobby and other communal areas, as they tried to make sense of what had happened, and who they had lost, in hushed conversations.

From BBC

Related Words

• muted