huh

Interjection

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. (slang) 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!"
5. (informal) Used to indicate that one did not hear what was said.
   • Huh? Could you speak up?

   Synonyms:

   come again, pardon, what

6. (informal) Used to create a tag question.
   • It's getting kind of late, huh?
7. (onomatopoeic) 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.1980, Donald McCaig, The Butte Polka: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Rawson, Wade Publishers, Inc., →ISBN, page 251
   • 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
8. (onomatopoeic) Representing a chuckling sound.
   • 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
   • Helen starts laughing, properly now. Huh-huh-huh.2017, Meg Howrey, The Wanderers, London […]: Scribner, →ISBN, page 173
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!"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...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

Proper noun (1) capitalized: HUH

HUH

1. The station code of Hung Hom in Hong Kong.

Proper noun (2) capitalized: Huh

IPA/ˈhʌ/

Huh (plural Huhs)

1. A surname from Korean.