hiss

1. 1.

   make a sharp hissing sound, as if to show disapproval

   Synonymssisssizzsibilate

   Broaderutter
2. 2.

   move with a whooshing sound

   Synonymswhoosh

   Broadertravel
3. 3.

   express or utter with a hiss

   Synonymssizzsisssibilate

   Broadertalk
4. 4.

   show displeasure, as after a performance or speech

   Synonymsboo

   Broadercondemn

1. 1.

   a fricative sound (especially as an expression of disapproval)

   “the performers could not be heard over the hissing of the audience”

   Synonymshissinghushingfizzlesibilation

   Broadernoise
2. 2.

   a cry or noise made to express displeasure or contempt

   SynonymsboohootBronx cheerraspberryrazzingrazzsnortbird

   Broadercry

Other forms of hiss

plural

hisses·

past tense

hissed·

present participle

hissing·

Forms marked · are formed by the regular rule rather than recorded in the source data. English keeps a few hundred irregulars and the rest follow the pattern, so the rule is right far more often than not — but it is a rule, and the mark says so.

Questions about hiss

What does hiss mean?

hiss means "make a sharp hissing sound, as if to show disapproval". That is the primary sense; the word has 6 in total, listed in full on this page.

How many syllables are in hiss?

hiss has 1 syllable: hiss. In IPA it is /ˈhɪs/.

What is another word for hiss?

Close synonyms include siss, sizz, sibilate, whoosh, sizz. Each sense on this page lists its own synonyms, because a word with several meanings rarely has one substitute that works for all of them.

Is hiss a common word?

hiss is banded "Familiar" — widely understood, used when the subject calls for it. The band comes from how often the word appears in a large corpus of everyday English, not from an editor's impression.