ahem

Noun

• the utterance of a sound similar to clearing the throat; intended to get attention, express hesitancy, fill a pause, hide embarrassment, warn a friend, etc.

Intj

• The sound of a quiet cough or of clearing one's throat.
• An exclamation or cough to get attention.
• An exclamation of disapproval or annoyance.
• An exclamation to indicate sarcasm.

Verb

• To cough or clear one's throat so as to draw attention.

Interjection

• A sound made to clear the throat, often to get attention.

Examples

• Ahem! Could we please get started?
• Ahem! In case you didn't notice, I did my share of the work, too.
• AHEM, I believe you’ll find that ’blorft’ is not a valid Scrabble word.
• I really (ahem!) liked the chocolate broccoli surprise.

Synonyms

hem, hey, tut tut

Anagrams of ahem