huh

alternative hah · alternative hunh

1. Used to express doubt or confusion.

   Huh? Where did they go?

2. Used to express amusement or subtle surprise.

   Huh! I'm sure I locked it when I left.

3. Used to reinforce a question.

   Where were you last night? Huh?

4. slangUsed 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.

   (agreement) A: "Murder is bad." B: "Huh!"

   1 more example

   (belittlement) A: "We should go to an amusement park; it would be fun." B: "Huh."

5. informalUsed to indicate that one did not hear what was said.

   Huh? Could you speak up?

   Synonyms: come again, pardon, what

6. informalUsed to create a tag question.

   It's getting kind of late, huh?

7. onomatopoeicRepresenting the sound of heavy breathing.

   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

   1 more example

   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

8. onomatopoeicRepresenting a chuckling sound.

   Helen starts laughing, properly now. Huh-huh-huh.

   2017, Meg Howrey, The Wanderers, London […]: Scribner, →ISBN, page 173

   1 more example

   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

9. governmentA kiai, shouted as a limb is swung in attack.

   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

   3 more examples

   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

   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

plural Huhs

1. A surname from Korean.

1. rail transportThe station code of Hung Hom in Hong Kong.