different between hissing vs fizzle

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?h?s??/
• Rhymes: -?s??

Verb

hissing

1. present participle of hiss

Noun

hissing (plural hissings)

1. The sound of a hiss.
   • 1875, John Lothrop Motley, The Life and Death of John of Barneveld Advocate of Holland

     The hissings and screamings of the vulgar against him as he moved forward on his stedfast course he heeded less than those of geese on a common.

English

Etymology

Attested in English since 1525-35. From earlier fysel (“to fart”). Related to f?sa (“to fart”). Compare with Swedish fisa (“to fart (silently)”). See also feist.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /?f?z?l/
• Rhymes: -?z?l

Verb

fizzle (third-person singular simple present fizzles, present participle fizzling, simple past and past participle fizzled)

1. To sputter or hiss.

   The soda fizzled for several minutes after it was poured.

   • 1616, Ben Jonson, The Devil Is an Ass

     It is the easest thing, sir, to be done, / As plain as fizzling.

2. (figuratively) To decay or die off to nothing; to burn out; to end less successfully than previously hoped.

   The entire project fizzled after the founder quit.
3. (military, of a nuclear weapon) To fail to generate the expected yield when exploded during testing.

Derived terms

• fizzler

Translations

Noun

fizzle (plural fizzles)

1. A spluttering or hissing sound.
2. (military) Failure of an exploding nuclear bomb to meet its expected yield during testing.
3. An abortive effort; a flop or dud.
4. A state of agitation or worry.

Usage notes

In the context of nuclear testing, a fizzle (an explosion with inadequate yield) is distinguished from a dud (a failure to explode at all).

Translations

Related terms

• fizz
• fizzy