whispering

American  

[hwis-per-ing, wis-] / ˈʰwɪs pər ɪŋ, ˈwɪs- /

noun

1. whispered talk or conversation.

2. rumor, hearsay, or gossip.

3. a whispered sound.

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adjective

1. that whispers; making a sound like a whisper.

2. like a whisper.

3. given to whispering; gossipy.

4. conversing in whispers.

Other Word Forms

• half-whisperingly adverb
• unwhispering adjective
• whisperingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of whispering

before 1000; Middle English (noun), Old English hwisprunge. See whisper, -ing ², -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Her fossilized sea urchin, from a beach on the Red Sea, “responds by radiating its own inner joy at being found and loved too,” whispering: “We are two cyclical beings, each with their own story.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The ghost of his wife hovers over the scene, desperately whispering the word poison.”

From Literature

“Alfie” is whisperingly intimate, with Kirk concentrating on just the tenor, and taking his place in the continuum of master balladeers like Ben Webster and Don Byas.

From The Wall Street Journal

Advance single “Let Me Grow and You’ll See the Fruit” is bewitching and emotionally resonant, like someone whispering a story into your ear over a beautifully jangly guitar line.

From The Wall Street Journal

Consequently there will continue to be passionate, sometimes contentious, debate over whether the cosmos is gently whispering to us about its true nature, or whether astronomers are chasing celestial ghosts.

From BBC