Phrase guide

hush up

verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To become quiet; to cease making sounds.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal, intransitive

Examples

  • Hush up now; you have talked too much.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hush, hush down, quiet down, quieten down, shut up

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To silence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal, transitive

Examples

  • Some people say he knew too much and they killed him to hush him up.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To keep secret, to prevent from becoming known.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • They hushed up the suicide to prevent bad publicity.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

cause to be quiet or not talk

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Please silence the children in the church!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hush, quieten, silence, still, shut up

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: suppress, stamp down, inhibit, subdue, conquer, curb

Narrower terms: shush, lull, calm down, shout down, gag, muzzle

5

verb

Meaning 5

cover up a misdemeanor, fault, or error

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Let's not whitewash the crimes of Stalin
  • She tried to gloss over her mistakes

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: whitewash, gloss over, sleek over

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cover, cover up

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • German: still sein — to stop making sounds
  • German: ruhig sein — to stop making sounds
  • Hungarian: elhallgat — to stop making sounds
  • Hungarian: befogja a száját — to stop making sounds
  • Polish: zamilknąć — to stop making sounds
  • Russian: замолкать (zamolkatʹ) — to stop making sounds
  • Slovak: zamĺknuť — to stop making sounds
  • Slovak: zmĺknuť — to stop making sounds
  • Dutch: verzwijgen — to keep secret
  • Finnish: salata — to keep secret
  • German: totschweigen — to keep secret
  • German: vertuschen — to keep secret
  • German: verschweigen — to keep secret
  • Hungarian: agyonhallgat — to keep secret
  • Hungarian: eltussol — to keep secret
  • Hungarian: elhallgat — to keep secret
  • Italian: mettere a tacere — to keep secret
  • Romanian: mușamaliza — to keep secret
  • Romanian: ține secret — to keep secret
  • Russian: замалчивать (zamalčivatʹ) — to keep secret
  • Slovak: zamlčať — to keep secret
  • Slovak: umlčať — to keep secret
  • Slovak: ututlať — to keep secret
  • Vietnamese: ỉm — to keep secret