verb

huschen

dart · scurry

Sich sehr schnell, leise und unauffällig von einem Ort zum anderen bewegen.

Definition & meaning

The verb huschen describes a very quick, light, and usually silent movement. It is often used to describe how small animals, like mice or lizards, move rapidly from one spot to another to avoid being seen.

There are two primary ways to use this word:

Physical movement: Moving fast and quietly, often darting or scurrying. For example, a shadow might move across a wall, or a person might quickly slip through a door.
Figurative movement: Describing something that appears or disappears very briefly. A common expression is "ein Lächeln huschte über sein Gesicht" (a smile flitted across his face), meaning the smile was very brief and subtle.

Grammar & Word origin

Grammar:

huschen is a regular (weak) verb.
Its principal parts are: huscht (present), huschte (past), and ist gehuscht (perfect).
It uses the auxiliary verb sein because it indicates a movement resulting in a change of location.

Word origin: The word emerged in Late Middle High German as huschen. It is likely an onomatopoeic (sound-imitation) word, meant to mimic the soft rustling sound made by a quick movement through grass, leaves, or fabric.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

flitzen: To dash or bolt, though "flitzen" implies more speed and less silence than "huschen."
schlüpfen: To slip or glide into or out of something quickly.
wieseln: To scurry like a weasel.
eilen: To hurry or hasten.
gleiten: To glide or slide smoothly.

Antonyms:

verweilen: To linger or stay in one place for a while.
trotten: To trot or trudge along slowly and heavily.
schleichen: To sneak or creep. While this is also quiet, "schleichen" is usually much slower and more deliberate than the darting motion of "huschen."
stoppen: To stop or come to a halt.