hush

• POS: Interjection, Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

hush, v. t. [OE. huschen, hussen, prob. of imitative origin; cf. LG. hussen to lull to sleep, G. husch quick, make haste, be silent.].

•  To still; to silence; to calm; to make quiet; to repress the noise or clamor of.  [1913 Webster]

  "My tongue shall hush again this storm of war."  [1913 Webster]
•  To appease; to allay; to calm; to soothe.  [1913 Webster]

  "With thou, then,
  Hush my cares?"  [1913 Webster]

  "And hush'd my deepest grief of all."  [1913 Webster]

To hush up, to procure silence concerning; to suppress; to keep secret. “This matter is hushed up.” Pope.

hush, v. i. 

 To become or to keep still or quiet; to become silent; -- esp. used in the imperative, as an exclamation; be still; be silent or quiet; make no noise.  [1913 Webster]
"Hush, idle words, and thoughts of ill."  [1913 Webster]
"But all these strangers' presence every one did hush."  [1913 Webster]

hush, n. 

 Stillness; silence; quiet.  Byron.  [1913 Webster]

Hush money, money paid to secure silence, or to prevent the disclosure of facts. Swift.

hush, a. 

 Silent; quiet.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

hush, v., int., & n.
--v.tr. & intr. make or become silent or quiet.
--int. calling for silence.
--n. an expectant stillness or silence.

Idiom

hush money money paid to prevent the disclosure of a discreditable matter. hush puppy US quickly fried maize bread. hush up suppress public mention of (an affair).

Etymology

back-form. f. obs. husht int., = quiet!, taken as a past part.

THESAURUS

hush

allay, appease, assibilate, assibilation, awful silence, black out, buzz, calm, calm down, censor, choke, choke off, compose, conceal, cool, cover up, cradle, dead, dead of night, deathlike silence, dulcify, dumbfound, ease, effervesce, effervescence, effervescing, even out, fall silent, fizz, fizzle, fizzling, frication, frictional rustling, gag, gentle, golden silence, hide, hiss, hissing, hugger-mugger, hugger-muggery, hush of night, hush up, hush-hush, hushing, inaudibility, keep quiet, kill, lisp, lucid stillness, lull, mollify, muffle, mum, mute, muzzle, noiseless, noiselessness, pacify, peace, pipe down, placate, pour balm into, put to silence, quash, quell, quiesce, quiescence, quiet, quiet down, quieten, quietness, quietude, repress, rest, rhonchus, rock, rock to sleep, secretiveness, secretness, shush, shushing, shut down on, shut up, sibilance, sibilate, sibilation, siffle, sigmatism, silence, silent, silentness, siss, sissing, sit on, sizz, sizzle, sizzling, smooth, smooth down, smooth over, smoothen, smother, sneeze, sneezing, sniff, sniffle, snore, snort, snuff, snuffle, soft-pedal, soften, solemn silence, soothe, soundless, soundlessness, spit, splutter, sputter, squash, squelch, squish, stabilize, steady, sternutation, stertor, stifle, still, stillness, stilly, strike dumb, subdue, suppress, swish, tacitness, taciturnity, throttle, tomblike silence, tranquilize, tranquillity, wheeze, whish, whisht, whisper, whist, whistle, whistling, white noise, whiz, whoosh, zip

ROGET THESAURUS

hush

Taciturnity

VB be silent, keep silence, keep mum, hold one's tongue, hold one's peace, hold one's jaw, not speak, say nothing, keep one's counsel, seal the lips, close the lips, button the lips, zipper the lips, put a padlock on the lips, put a padlock on the mouth, put a bridle on one's tongue, bite one's tongue, keep one's tongue between one's teeth, make no sign, not let a word escape one, keep a secret, not have a word to say, hush up, hush, lay the finger on the lips, place the finger on the lips, render mute, stick in one's throat.

Moderation

VB be moderate, keep within bounds, keep within compass, sober down, settle down, keep the peace, remit, relent, take in sail, moderate, soften, mitigate, temper, accoy, attemper, contemper, mollify, lenify, dulcify, dull, take off the edge, blunt, obtund, sheathe, subdue, chasten, sober down, tone down, smooth down, weaken, lessen, check palliate, tranquilize, pacify, assuage, appease, swag, lull, soothe, compose, still, calm, calm down, cool, quiet, hush, quell, sober, pacify, tame, damp, lay, allay, rebate, slacken, smooth, alleviate, rock to sleep, deaden, smooth, throw cold water on, throw a wet blanket over, turn off, slake, curb, tame, smooth over, pour oil on the waves, pour oil on the troubled waters, pour balm into, mattre de l'eau dans son vin, go out like a lamb, roar you as gently as any sucking dove.

Quiescence

VB be quiescent, stand still, lie still, keep quiet, repose, hold the breath, remain, stay, stand, lie to, ride at anchor, remain in situ, tarry, mark time, bring to, heave to, lay to, pull up, draw up, hold, halt, stop, stop short, rest, pause, anchor, cast to an anchor, come to an anchor, rest on one's oars, repose on one's laurels, take breath, stop, stagnate, quieta non movere, let alone, abide, rest and be thankful, keep within doors, stay at home, go to bed, dwell, settle, alight, stick, stick fast, stand like a post, not stir a peg, not stir a step, be at a stand, quell, becalm, hush, stay, lull to sleep, lay an embargo on.

Silence

N silence, stillness, peace, hush, lull, muteness, solemn silence, awful silence, dead silence, deathlike silence, silent, still, stilly, noiseless, soundless, hushed, mute, soft, solemn, awful, deathlike, silent as the grave, inaudible, silently, sub silentio, Int, hush!, silence!, soft!, whist!, tush!, chut!, tut!, pax!, be quiet!, be silent!, be still!, shut up!, chup!, chup rao!, tace!, one might hear a feather drop, one might hear a pin drop, so quiet you could hear a pin drop, grosse Seelen dulden still, le silence est la vertu de ceux qui ne sont pas sa, le silence est le parti le plus sar de celui se d_, silence more musical than any song, tacent satis laudant, better to be silent and thought a fool than to spe.

VB be silent, hold one's tongue, render silent, silence, still, hush, stifle, muffle, stop, muzzle, put to silence.