hmm

See also: HMM and hm̀m̌

English

Alternative forms

• hm, hum, hmmm, h'm

Etymology

See hum.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /hm̩/, [m̥m̩˦˨]

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Interjection

hmm

1. Indicates thinking or pondering.

   Hmm... that's an interesting idea.

   Hmm... I just can't decide between the two.

   Hmm... creation or evolution? That’s the big question.

   • May 12 1991, “Kidnapped!”, in Jeeves and Wooster, season 2, episode 5:

     Jeeves: Foreign travel often liberates emotions best kept in check, sir. The air of North America is notoriously stimulating in this regard, as witness the regrettable behavior of its inhabitants in 1776.
     B. Wooster: Hmm? What happened in 1776, Jeeves?
     Jeeves: I prefer not to dwell on it, if it's convenient to you, sir.

2. A demand for an answer to a question.

   Just where were you until 2 a.m.? Hmm?

Synonyms

• hnn

Translations

indicating thinking or pondering

• Belarusian: гм (hm), хм (xm)
• Catalan: hum (ca)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 唔 (yue) (m⁴)

  Mandarin: 哼 (zh) (hēng), 嗯 (zh) (ēn), 噷 (zh) (hm)

• Czech: hm (cs)
• Dutch: hm (nl)
• Esperanto: hm
• Finnish: hmm
• French: hum (fr)
• Georgian: ჰმ (hm)
• German: hm (de), tja (de)
• Greek: χμ (el) (chm)
• Italian: mmh, uhm, hmm
• Japanese: うーん (ūn), んー (nn), ふむ (ja) (fumu), ふむふむ (fumufumu)
• Korean: 음 (ko) (eum), 으음 (eueum)
• Malay: hm
• Norwegian: hmm
• Polish: hmm (pl)
• Portuguese: hmm, mmm (pt)
• Russian: хм (ru) (xm), гм (ru) (hm)
• Spanish: hmm (es)
• Swedish: hmm
• Ukrainian: хм (xm), гм (hm)

Verb

hmm (third-person singular simple present hmms, present participle hmming, simple past and past participle hmmed)

1. (intransitive) To make a thoughtful humming noise.

See also

• hrmph
• humph
• hmph
• mm-hmm

Anagrams

• MMH, mhm

Finnish

Etymology

Commonly found in many languages. Probably imitative.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [m̥m̩˦˨]

Interjection

hmm

1. hmm

Further reading

• “hmm”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

French

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Interjection

hmm

1. expressing skepticism

   Paul viendra mardi. - Hmm.. j’en suis pas si sûr.

   Paul will come on Tuesday. - Hmm.. I'm not so sure.

Further reading

• “hmm”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Hungarian

Interjection

hmm

1. Indicating thinking, pondering, surprise or annoyance.

Polish

Etymology

Onomatopoeic.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [xm̥m]

• Audio:

  (file)

Interjection

hmm

1. hmm (indicating thinking or pondering)

   Synonym: hm

Further reading

• hmm in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Interjection

hmm

1. Alternative form of hm