Dictionary

ish en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ɪʃ/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From is.

Meanings

1. (alt-of, pronunciation-spelling) Pronunciation spelling of is.
   alt of is

ish en · ADV · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ɪʃ/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *-iskos Proto-Germanic *-iskaz Proto-West Germanic *-isk Old English -isċ Middle English -isch English -ishbf. English ish Back-formation from -ish.

Meanings

1. (colloquial, not-comparable) somewhat, reasonably, fairly
   • The exam went well... mostly... ish.
   • This is where I started. Does Hermione like Dark Souls? Ish. 26 May 2012, Jason VandenBerghe, “The Five Domains of Play”, Gotland Game Conference, Uppsala University
   • "Was the film any good?" – "Ish."
2. (colloquial, not-comparable) about, approximately
   • (episode 38 of Manifest) Eagen: "Don't blame Little House on the Prairie. I was very charming." Angelina: "Did you lie about being an orphan too?" 2021 May, “Bogey”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name)
   • 'With luck, about twelve.' 'Ah,' said Bernard. 'Twelve-thirty. Ish.' 1974, Kingsley Amis, Ending up, page 11:
   • How old are you? Fifty-ish?" / "Ish." / The color flared in her cheeks but she didn't look as though she were going to shoot me. 2007, Marne Davis Kellogg, Friends in High Places, page 283:

Synonyms

nearly (approximately) · roughly (approximately) · close to (approximately) · round about (approximately) · fairly (somewhat) · rather (somewhat) · about (approximately) · almost (approximately) · loosely (approximately) · around (approximately) · somewhat (somewhat) · near (approximately)

Translations (12)

fr approximativement (about, approximately) · fr à peu près (about, approximately) · fi noin (about, approximately) · de rund (about, approximately) · de ungefähr (about, approximately) · fi -hko (reasonably, somewhat, (fairly)) · de halbwegs (reasonably, somewhat, (fairly)) · de mehr oder weniger (reasonably, somewhat, (fairly)) · fi -hkö (reasonably, somewhat, (fairly)) · cs jakž takž (reasonably, somewhat, (fairly)) · de etwas (reasonably, somewhat, (fairly)) · de in etwa (about, approximately)

ish en · NOUN · etymology 3

Pronunciation

• /ɪʃ/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Pitman ess and eff, which it resembles phonetically and graphically, and the sound it represents. The change in vowel probably reflects the familiar suffix -ish.

Meanings

1. The letter which stands for the sh sound /ʃ/ in Pitman shorthand.

Forms

Relateds

esh · zhee · the IPA letter for the same sound

ish en · NOUN · etymology 4

Pronunciation

• /ɪʃ/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Phonetic spelling of the clipping of issue.

Meanings

1. (dated, slang) An instalment of a periodical; an issue.
   • Next ish: a guide to who is who of the Howard heroes in the centerspread. 1961 July, George H. Scithers, Amra, volume 2, number 16, page 2:
   • "A LITTLE UNPLEASANTNESS" DEPT: Fantasy Digest says in it's^([sic]) latest ish: Quote: Some unpleasantness was caused when Don Wollheim and his brother Futurians were not allowed in the Convention Hall. Unquote. 1939 August 5, "Bob" Tucker, “Archived copy”, in Le Zombie, number 10, archived from the original on 24 Jan 2013, page 3:
   • My sincerest apologies to Brother Ron Smith in the December ish. 1967 June, Drake Maynard, If, volume 17, number 6, page 160:

Forms

Deriveds

thish · annish

ish en · INTJ · etymology 5

Pronunciation

• /ɪʃ/
• (Southern-England) audio

Meanings

1. (Canada, US, informal, regional) ick, yuck

Relateds

eesh · ishy

ish en · NOUN · etymology 6

Pronunciation

• /ɪʃ/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From earlier isht, a minced oath and metathetic alteration of shit. Possibly onomatopoeic from being inspired by the sound of the word shit when backmasked in clean or radio edits of hip-hop songs.

Meanings

1. (euphemistic, qualifier:African-American Vernacular, uncountable) Shit (in various senses).
   • Anyone, really, but seriously, you'd think that people whose very passion depends on their lungs would want to cut that ish out 2010, Jill Murray, Break On Through, page 15:
   • Now, it's time to get your ish together. 2013, Ivy McQuain, Get Your Head Out of the Clouds, This Is Business, page 25:
   • I owe you a lot Dipal, so put that ish away. 2012, Dipal Parikh, Walking with Krishna: Based on True Life Events, page 154:
   • I passed on that craziness. I wasn't messing with that ish. 2015, Ni-Ni Simone, Amir Abrams, Lights, Love & Lip Gloss, page 51: