hm

Meanings

1. 1
   intj

   used to show that the speaker is thinking, hesitating, doubtful, or considering what has just been said

   “Hm, that result is stranger than I expected,” the chemist said.

2. 2
   intj

   used after or in place of a question to prompt an answer or show that one is waiting for a response

   “You did lock the laboratory, hm?” she asked, waiting for an answer.

3. 3
   intj

   used with questioning intonation to request repetition or clarification

   “Hm?” he said, leaning closer so that she would repeat the last sentence.

An imitative rendering of a thinking or hesitation sound rather than a word inherited from another language. Hm is a shorter spelling of hmm, and h'm or h’m is an established typographic variant. English dictionaries record the interjection hmm, including hm as a variant, from the mid-nineteenth century.

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