hmm

H4M3M3
UK, US/hm̩/UK, US[m̥m̩˦˨]

interjection

Indicates thinking or pondering.

“Hmm... that's an interesting idea.”

Similar
CommonScrabble 10

Meanings

hmm1

interjection

alternative hm · alternative hum · alternative hmmm · alternative h'm

  1. Indicates thinking or pondering.

    Hmm... that's an interesting idea.

    2 more examples

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

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

  2. Indicates surprise or cluelessness; especially a response by a person who is questioned or addressed when not expecting it.

    "Could you pass me the paring knife?" "Hmm? What's a paring knife?"

    2 more examples

    "You there! Where are you going?" "Hmm? Oh, I just need to get a drink."

    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.

    May 12 1991, “Kidnapped!”, in Jeeves and Wooster, season 2, episode 5
  3. A demand for an answer to a question.

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

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

present singular third person hmms · participle present hmming · participle past hmmed · past hmmed · alternative hm · alternative hum · alternative hmmm · alternative h'm

  1. intransitiveTo make a thoughtful humming noise.

HMM2

nounHMM (plural HMMs)

plural HMMs

  1. abbreviationinitialismmachine learningmathematicsInitialism of hidden Markov model.

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar

Origin

Translations

Catalan hum
  • humindicating thinking or pondering
Chinese Cantonese 唔
  • 唔 (m⁴)indicating thinking or pondering
Chinese Mandarin 哼, 嗯
  • 哼 (hēng)indicating thinking or pondering
  • 嗯 (ēn)indicating thinking or pondering
  • 噷 (hm)indicating thinking or pondering
Czech hm
  • hmindicating thinking or pondering
Dutch hm
  • hmindicating thinking or pondering
Esperanto hm
  • hmindicating thinking or pondering
Finnish hmm
  • hmmindicating thinking or pondering
French hum
  • humindicating thinking or pondering
German hm, tja
  • hmindicating thinking or pondering
  • tjaindicating thinking or pondering
Greek χμ
  • χμ (chm)indicating thinking or pondering
Italian mmh, uhm
  • mmhindicating thinking or pondering
  • uhmindicating thinking or pondering
  • hmmindicating thinking or pondering
Japanese うーん, んー
  • うーん (ūn)indicating thinking or pondering
  • んー (nn)indicating thinking or pondering
  • ふむ (fumu)indicating thinking or pondering
  • ふむふむ (fumufumu)indicating thinking or pondering
Korean 음, 으음
  • 음indicating thinking or pondering
  • 으음 (eueum)indicating thinking or pondering
Malay hm
  • hmindicating thinking or pondering
Norwegian hmm
  • hmmindicating thinking or pondering
Polish hmm
  • hmmindicating thinking or pondering
Portuguese hmm, mmm
  • hmmindicating thinking or pondering
  • mmmindicating thinking or pondering
Russian хм, гм
  • хм (xm)indicating thinking or pondering
  • гм (hm)indicating thinking or pondering
Spanish hmm
  • hmmindicating thinking or pondering
Swedish hmm
  • hmmindicating thinking or pondering
Ukrainian хм, гм
  • хм (xm)indicating thinking or pondering
  • гм (hm)indicating thinking or pondering

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

hmm. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hmm

MLA

“hmm.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hmm. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hmm,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hmm.

Source: hmm on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.