psst

IPA/pst/
IPA/pst/

psst — exclamation

1. a quiet sound you make by pushing air through your lips to get someone to look a

1.exclamationB1
Definition

a quiet sound you make by pushing air through your lips to get someone to look at you or listen to you, especially when you do not want other people to realize what is happening

Example

Cyrus heard a soft 'Psst!' and turned to see Minh waving from across the library.

Imran whispered 'Psst!' to get his sister's attention during the movie.

pattern: whisper Psst + to-infinitive for purpose

Common collocations
  • go 'Psst!'
  • hear a 'Psst!'
  • whisper 'Psst!'
  • a quiet 'Psst!'
  • a soft 'Psst!'
Synonyms
  • hey

    louder and more direct; can be used from a distance and in casual public settings

  • ahem

    a throat-clearing sound used to get attention in a more polite or noticeable way, often when someone has made a mistake

Usage Note

Always spoken quietly with the lips almost closed. The word is written with one or more 's' letters (psst, pssst, pssst!) depending on how long the sound is held. Common in informal writing, comics, and text messages, but rarely used in formal speech.

Synonym discussion

Sense: exclamation/1

All three words are used to get someone's attention, but they differ in volume and social context. 'Psst' is a quiet, breathy sound made with the lips almost closed, used when you want to call someone secretly — for example, across a classroom or library. 'Hey' is much louder and more casual, suitable for calling a friend on the street or getting a waiter's attention. 'Ahem' is a throat-clearing sound that signals mild disapproval or draws polite attention to a situation, such as reminding someone they forgot to say thank you. Choose 'psst' when discretion matters, 'hey' for ordinary casual attention-getting, and 'ahem' for polite correction or notice.

psst ↗hey ↗ahem ↗

Etymology

English

Imitative — the word is meant to sound like the hissing or breathy noise people make with their lips to attract someone's attention quietly. It first appeared in English writing in the late 1800s as a way to represent this natural sound in dialogue.