MEANING
To make a sustained sibilant sound, like air escaping or a snake's warning.
Use it for
Predatory warning; escaping breath; hostile low dialogue close to the listenerUse a narrow, continuous sound rather than a loud cry.
Words that belong together
- hiss through the teeth
- hissing breath
- hiss a warning
On the page
The creature hissed when its skin touched the light.
Air hissed through the torn breathing tube.
She hissed, 'Stay still,' without opening her jaw fully.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- hiss / hisses
- Past tense
- hissed
- Past participle
- hissed
- Present participle
- hissing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- hiss / hisses
- Present continuous
- am/is/are hissing
- Present perfect
- have/has hissed
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been hissing
- Past
- hissed
- Past continuous
- was/were hissing
- Past perfect
- had hissed
- Past perfect continuous
- had been hissing
- Future
- will hiss / hisses
- Future continuous
- will be hissing
- Future perfect
- will have hissed
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been hissing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: horror. Describes sound rather than a species or motive. Hissed dialogue suits sibilant words or a constricted whisper; it cannot literally describe every spoken line. Verb [base, third-person present, past, past participle, -ing]: hiss, hisses, hissed, hissed, hissing.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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