huh

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   Used to express doubt or confusion.

   • Huh? Where did they go?
2. 2

   Used to express amusement or subtle surprise.

   • Huh! I'm sure I locked it when I left.
3. 3

   Used to reinforce a question.

   • Where were you last night? Huh?
4. ›+ 8 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      Used either to belittle the issuer of a statement/question, or sarcastically to indicate…

      Used 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.

      • (belittlement) A: "We should go to an amusement park; it would be fun." B: "Huh."
      • (agreement) A: "Murder is bad." B: "Huh!"
   2. 5

      Used to indicate that one did not hear what was said.

      • Huh? Could you speak up?
   3. 6

      Used to create a tag question.

      • It's getting kind of late, huh?
   4. 7

      Representing the sound of heavy breathing.

      • 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.
      • 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?!"
   5. 8

      Representing a chuckling sound.

      • Mr. [Lambert] Wilson says this with a soft chuckle, sounding a bit like huh huh huh.
      • Helen starts laughing, properly now. Huh-huh-huh.
   6. 9

      A kiai, shouted as a limb is swung in attack.

      • Shawn quickly turns around and punches the pale hand, yelling "Huh! Huh! Hi yah'! Huh! Get off me! Yeah!"
   7. 10

      A surname.

   8. 11

      The station code of Hung Hom in Hong Kong.

The neighborhood