# hmm

Pronunciation: say "HMM" /hm̩/

## Interjection

1. Used to indicate that the speaker is thinking something over or weighing a decision.
   - Simple: Used to show that you are thinking about something or trying to decide.
   - _Hmm, that clue could point to either suspect._
   - _Hmm, let me check the calendar before I commit to that date._
2. Used to express doubt, suspicion, or skepticism about something just said, or mild disapproval of it.
   - Simple: Used to show that you doubt what someone said, don't quite believe it, or don't like it.
   - _"I was at the library all night." "Hmm. Then why is your car still in the driveway?"_
   - _A guaranteed thirty percent return every year? Hmm, that sounds too good to be true._
3. Used to express surprise or momentary confusion, especially when one is unexpectedly questioned or addressed.
   - Simple: Used to show surprise or that you are confused, especially when someone speaks to you suddenly.
   - _Hmm? I didn't catch that. Could you repeat the question?_
   - _Hmm? Oh, the report. Right, I'll send it over this afternoon._
4. Used to demand an answer to a question, often tacked onto the question itself or repeated when no reply comes.
   - Simple: Used to push someone to answer your question.
   - _So where exactly were you all afternoon, hmm?_
   - _Hmm? Don't just stand there. Explain yourself._

## Verb

5. To make a thoughtful humming noise, as when considering or hesitating over something.
   - Simple: To make a humming sound while you think about something.
   - _The interviewers hmm politely whenever a candidate gives a vague answer._
   - _He hmmed for a moment, then proposed an entirely different plan._

## Origin

A written form of hum, imitating the closed-lip sound people make while thinking. Hum goes back to Middle English hummen and probably began as an imitation of the sound.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/hmm (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).