whisper
to speak with soft, hushed sounds, using the breath, lips, etc., but with no vibration of the vocal cords.
Phonetics. to produce utterance substituting breath for phonation.
to talk softly and privately (often implying gossip, slander, plotting, or the like): The king knew that the courtiers were whispering.
(of trees, water, breezes, etc.) to make a soft, rustling sound like that of whispering.
to utter with soft, low sounds, using the breath, lips, etc.: He whispered endearments to her.
Phonetics. to utter (speech sounds) substituting breath for phonation.
to say or tell in a whisper; tell privately.
to speak to or tell (a person) in a whisper or privately.
the mode of utterance, or the voice, of a person who whispers: to speak in a whisper.
a word or remark uttered by whispering.
a rumor or insinuation: Whispers circulated about the affair.
a soft, rustling sound like a whisper: the whisper of leaves in the wind.
Origin of whisper
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use whisper in a sentence
So, we go to the urinals and he leans over to me and whispers, “I loved Gattaca.”
Coffee Talk with Ethan Hawke: On ‘Boyhood,’ Jennifer Lawrence, and Bill Clinton’s Urinal Exchange | Marlow Stern | December 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAs this begins to set in, the phantom caller morphs into Lori, who whispers to her husband, “What happened, Rick?”
The Walking Dead’s Luke Skywalker: Rick Grimes Is the Perfect Modern-Day Mythical Hero | Regina Lizik | October 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTA month ago I began to hear whispers that perhaps my original number had not been retired after all.
While there have always been whispers about Jay Z's rumored infidelities, the tabloid fervor reached an all time peak back in May.
Elevator Music Beyoncé Doesn’t Want to Hear: Jay Z’s ‘Mistress’ Drops ‘Sorry Mrs. Carter’ | Amy Zimmerman | August 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST“You gotta give her what she wants when she wants it,” he whispers a few moments later.
Bobby Womack’s Sexual Democracy: The Late Soul Legend Preached Mutual Pleasure | David Masciotra | June 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
People spoke in whispers; anxious faces appeared at the gate from time to time, and women and children went away in tears.
Oliver Twist, Vol. II (of 3) | Charles DickensThose vague whispers concerning him had reached her ears, and she often wondered whether half she heard concerning him was true.
The Doctor of Pimlico | William Le QueuxThey converse in whispers, then walk up the line, and pass slowly back, till they are alongside of me.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist | Alexander BerkmanSeveral jurymen leave their seats, but the district attorney hurries forward, and whispers to them.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist | Alexander BerkmanThe still small voice of self-approval whispers me it is not from me.
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 25 (of 25) | Robert Louis Stevenson
British Dictionary definitions for whisper
/ (ˈwɪspə) /
to speak or utter (something) in a soft hushed tone, esp without vibration of the vocal cords
(intr) to speak secretly or furtively, as in promoting intrigue, gossip, etc
(intr) (of leaves, trees, etc) to make a low soft rustling sound
(tr) to utter or suggest secretly or privately: to whisper treason
a low soft voice: to speak in a whisper
something uttered in such a voice
a low soft rustling sound
a trace or suspicion
informal a rumour or secret
Origin of whisper
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with whisper
see stage whisper.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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