Dictionary

psst en · INTJ

Pronunciation

• /psː(t)/
• (US) audio

Etymology

Imitative of the similar sounds people use to call animals, such as cats.

Meanings

1. (onomatopoeic) Used to call animals.
2. (onomatopoeic) Used to request silence.
3. (onomatopoeic) Used to imply that the speaker is sending secret or whispered information to another person.
   • Psst, John, don’t tell anyone, but I’ve got lots of candy stashed away.
4. (onomatopoeic) Imitating a spray.

Forms

Synonyms

oi oi · shh · hist · ahem · ahoy · heyo · hey · hoi · yo · oi · yoohoo · cooee

Translations (10)

sk psst (implying secrecy) · pt psit (implying secrecy) · ru тсс (implying secrecy) · el ψιτ (implying secrecy) · cmn 嘶 (implying secrecy) · vi suỵt (implying secrecy) · fi pst (implying secrecy) · cmn 噓 /嘘 (implying secrecy) · vi xuỵt (implying secrecy) · el πσστ (implying secrecy)

psst en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /psː(t)/
• (US) audio

Etymology

Imitative of the similar sounds people use to call animals, such as cats.

Meanings

1. (informal) To say psst, to get someone's attention or to communicate with them.
   • and I was just rounding the fourth-floor landing when Claudia pssted at me 2015, Dale Peck, The Garden of Lost and Found:

Forms