Meaning

(onomatopoeia) The sound of a quiet cough or of clearing one's throat..

Definitions by Sense

1. (onomatopoeia) The sound of a quiet cough or of clearing one's throat.
2. Demanding attention.
3. Expresses disapproval or annoyance.
4. Indicates the speaker does not wish to be perceived as rude, often intimating an impolite meaning to a third party that the speaker is not addressing.
5. To cough or clear one's throat so as to draw attention.

Example Sentences

Ahem! Could we please get started?

Enter Nobody, and the Clowne. / Nobody. Ahem boy, Nobody is ſound yet for all his troubles.

Ahem! In case you didn't notice, I did my share of the work, too.

He wouldn't have been suspected of crying for the world, but he coughed and ahemmed, and finally turned away without speaking.

A full inspiration, preparatory to hawking, ahemming, or premeditated careful coughing, would excite an explosion of an unusually violent and persistent cough, hurrying the breath out of the poor victims.

Word Forms

• ehem
• ahems
• ahemming
• ahemmed

Synonyms for ahem

Related Words

When Should You Use Ahem?

Use ahem when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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