huh

interjection

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. 4

   slangUsed 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. 5

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

   Huh? Could you speak up?

6. 6

   informalUsed to create a tag question.

   It's getting kind of late, huh?

7. 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?!"

8. 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.

9. 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!"

   Student A has both arms outstretched in a karate motion and shouts out "HUH". Student B receives the sound by putting both arms straight in the air and yelling "HUH". Students on either side of B give B a karate chop by miming a sideways karate chop — without any touching.

   HUH-HUH, HI-YAH!