HUSH UP

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does hush up mean? 

• HUSH UP (verb)
  The verb HUSH UP has 2 senses:

1. cover up a misdemeanor, fault, or error

2. cause to be quiet or not talk

  Familiarity information: HUSH UP used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HUSH UP (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cover up a misdemeanor, fault, or error

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

gloss over; hush up; sleek over; whitewash

Context example:

She tried to gloss over her mistakes

Hypernyms (to "hush up" is one way to...):

cover; cover up (hide from view or knowledge)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 2

Meaning:

Cause to be quiet or not talk

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

hush; hush up; quieten; shut up; silence; still

Context example:

Please silence the children in the church!

Hypernyms (to "hush up" is one way to...):

conquer; stamp down; subdue; suppress (bring under control by force or authority)

Cause:

hush (become quiet or still; fall silent)

Verb group:

hush; pipe down; quiesce; quiet; quiet down; quieten (become quiet or quieter)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "hush up"):

shush (silence (someone) by uttering 'shush!')

calm down; lull (become quiet or less intensive)

shout down (silence or overwhelm by shouting)

gag; muzzle (prevent from speaking out)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

 Context examples 

“I have already told you that I can hush up that which others will be bound to publish, and you would really be wiser to take me into your complete confidence.”

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

When a man is lost it is my duty to ascertain his fate, but having done so the matter ends so far as I am concerned, and so long as there is nothing criminal I am much more anxious to hush up private scandals than to give them publicity.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)