huh
intjUK /hʌ/ · US /hʌ/
Etymology Attested from circa 1600. Compare Dutch hè (“huh”).
9 senses
- 1Used to express doubt or confusion.
- 2Used to express amusement or subtle surprise.
- 3Used to reinforce a question.
- 4Used either to belittle the issuer of a statement/questio…
- 5Used to indicate that one did not hear what was said.
- 6Used to create a tag question.
- 7Representing the sound of heavy breathing.
- 8Representing a chuckling sound.
- 9A kiai, shouted as a limb is swung in attack.
With rising pitch Used to express doubt or confusion.
- Huh? Where did they go?
With falling pitch Used to express amusement or subtle surprise.
- Huh! I'm sure I locked it when I left.
With rising pitch Used to reinforce a question.
- Where were you last night? Huh?
Slang, With falling pitch Used either to belittle the issuer of a statement/question, or sarcastically to indicate utter agreement, and that the statement being responded to is an extreme understatement. The intonation is changed to distinguish between the two meanings - implied dullness for belittlement, and feigned surprise for utter agreement.
- (belittlement) A: "We should go to an amusement park; it would be fun." B: "Huh."
- (agreement) A: "Murder is bad." B: "Huh!"
Informal, With rising pitch Used to indicate that one did not hear what was said.
- Huh? Could you speak up?
Informal, With falling pitch Used to create a tag question.
- It's getting kind of late, huh?
Onomatopoeic Representing the sound of heavy breathing.
- He broke into a dogtrot and ran by us. I don't think he saw us. His voice was coming in little puffs, huh, huh, huh, but he probably didn't notice that either.1980, Donald McCaig, The Butte Polka: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Rawson, Wade Publishers, Inc., →ISBN, page 251:
- It was up so many flights of stairs that people would arrive for meetings drenched in sweat: "They were like huh huh huh [panting] - where the hell are you?!"2019 May 15, Robert Purchese, quoting Marcin Iwiński, “Seeing Red: The story of CD Projekt”, in Eurogamer, archived from the original on 15 Sep 2023:
Onomatopoeic Representing a chuckling sound.
- Mr. [Lambert] Wilson says this with a soft chuckle, sounding a bit like huh huh huh.2010 December 7, Katherine Knorr, “Lambert Wilson: A Man of New Faith”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 19 Dec 2016:
- Helen starts laughing, properly now. Huh-huh-huh.2017, Meg Howrey, The Wanderers, London […]: Scribner, →ISBN, page 173:
Government, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Martial arts, Military, Politics, Sports, War A kiai, shouted as a limb is swung in attack.
- Shawn quickly turns around and punches the pale hand, yelling "Huh! Huh! Hi yah'! Huh! Get off me! Yeah!"1993, Ashaki Boelter, The Nok, Bend, O.R.: Shakalot High Entertainment, published 2006, →ISBN, page 69:
- He gets out of the chair, whips off his jacket, and starts closing in on the camera, punching rapidly as he moves. A left hook, a right jab. "Hey, I'm a boxer and a marine! So don't mess with me, man! Semper fi! Marine Corps! They better not mess with me! My critics better not mess with me, man, 'cause I'm gonna beat you up. Huh, huh, huh, huh, huh. Hmm, hmmm, hmm, hmmmm, heeeyah, huh, huh. Hmmm, yeah!"1995 October 5, Neal Pollack, quoting David Nelson, “King of the Creature Feature”, in Chicago Reader, Chicago, I.L.: Chicago Reader, Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 15 Sep 2023:
2 more examples
- Student A has both arms outstretched in a karate motion and shouts out "HUH". Student B receives the sound by putting both arms straight in the air and yelling "HUH". Students on either side of B give B a karate chop by miming a sideways karate chop — without any touching.2014, Larry Swartz, Dramathemes: Classroom Literacy that Will Excite, Surprise, and Stimulate Learning, Markham, Ont.: Pembroke Publishers Limited, →ISBN, pages 130-131:
- HUH-HUH, HI-YAH!2023, Dwayne Reed, Simon B. Rhymin' Gets in the Game, New York, N.Y.: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, →ISBN, unnumbered page:
- Derived terms
- huh-uh, on the huh, uh-huh, uh huh, yeah-huh, yes-huh