ahem

interjection/əˈhɛm/

Frequency rank: #10,029 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)

Meaning

An exclamation used to attract attention or express mild disapproval or hesitation.

Illustration for the English word “ahem”

Example sentence

She cleared her throat and said "ahem" loudly to get everyone's attention before speaking.

Synonyms & related words

More words in ranks 10,001–10,100