whisper
Americanverb (used without object)
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to speak with soft, hushed sounds, using the breath, lips, etc., but with no vibration of the vocal cords.
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Phonetics. to produce utterance substituting breath for phonation.
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to talk softly and privately (often implying gossip, slander, plotting, or the like).
The king knew that the courtiers were whispering.
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(of trees, water, breezes, etc.) to make a soft, rustling sound like that of whispering.
verb (used with object)
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to utter with soft, low sounds, using the breath, lips, etc..
He whispered endearments to her.
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Phonetics. to utter (speech sounds) substituting breath for phonation.
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to say or tell in a whisper; tell privately.
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to speak to or tell (a person) in a whisper or privately.
noun
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the mode of utterance, or the voice, of a person who whispers.
to speak in a whisper.
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a word or remark uttered by whispering.
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a rumor or insinuation.
Whispers circulated about the affair.
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a soft, rustling sound like a whisper.
the whisper of leaves in the wind.
verb
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to speak or utter (something) in a soft hushed tone, esp without vibration of the vocal cords
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(intr) to speak secretly or furtively, as in promoting intrigue, gossip, etc
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(intr) (of leaves, trees, etc) to make a low soft rustling sound
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(tr) to utter or suggest secretly or privately
to whisper treason
noun
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a low soft voice
to speak in a whisper
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something uttered in such a voice
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a low soft rustling sound
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a trace or suspicion
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informal a rumour or secret
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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whispersimple
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whisperssimple
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have whisperedperfect
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has whisperedperfect
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am whisperingprogressive
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are whisperingprogressive
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is whisperingprogressive
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have been whisperingperfect progressive
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has been whisperingperfect progressive
Past
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whisperedsimple
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had whisperedperfect
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was whisperingprogressive
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were whisperingprogressive
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had been whisperingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of whisper
First recorded before 950; Middle English whisperen (verb), Old English hwisprian; akin to German wispern, Old Norse hviskra, hvīsla “to whistle”; cf. whine
Explanation
Psst! When you speak very quietly, so that hardly anyone can hear, you're whispering, or speaking in a whisper. A whisper is the opposite of a shout. When teachers talk about using your outside voice (when you're outside) and your inside voice (for speaking normally), the whisper is even quieter than the inside voice. This word can apply to other sounds too: you could say the wind is whispering. Whispers really do sound a lot like "Psst psst psst" to anyone who can't hear the exact words. You're likely to hear a lot of whispering in the library.
Vocabulary lists containing whisper
"Charlotte's Web": Chapter One
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Vocabulary from poems about communication
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Chizi does not live in China anymore and his name, once hugely popular, is a whisper now.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
At the time, she and Shell suspected Cipriani was behind an online whisper campaign to spread rumors about Shell just as he was trying to mount a comeback at Paramount.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
When she’s relating something repulsive, she drops into a whisper.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
The nature of the disorder means I still hear my old voice, but it’s constantly dropping to a whisper against my will.
From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2026
Finally I heard Gertrude whisper, “You tell her, Viola.”
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
Industry whispers point towards Las Vegas or New York, while Hearn says Joshua's contract stipulates the fight must happen in the UK - but he has not ruled out a move to America.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
The scrutiny would have been too fierce, he feared, the whispers of nepotism too loud.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
This portion of the curriculum, naturally, came with plenty of giggles and whispers.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
“I don’t think this is it,” Jack whispers to Ma on his final trip to the shed, which seems to have mysteriously shrunk from the place he remembers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
“It’s probably you didn’t get your shots or something,” she whispers.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
A place whispered about online as though it sits just beyond the edges of our known world.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
Still, Hetch Hetchy has long been whispered among Yosemite regulars as a place to find a little quiet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
This is Hollywood's latest horror film - Backrooms - and it knows its audience: one more drawn to whispered horror than A-list names, monsters and gore.
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
Nearby, collector Ilva Lorduy watched the five-minute sale from an oversize white armchair, as dealer Sam Orlofsky whispered with a friend beneath a wall-size orange Richard Prince work created from Tiffany ads.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
The next second, Hugo leaned towards me and whispered in my ear.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
“He’s whispering to me, ‘Mom, this is your path.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
Moved by the spectacle, Albarn asks the band to repeat the song's final chorus, whispering the lyrics like an incantation.
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026
Macron was among the first foreign leaders to engage in so-called Trump whispering.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
He continued: “You know, Melania’s birthday is on Sunday. She’s planning to celebrate at home the same way she always does, looking out a window and whispering, ‘What have I done?'”
From Salon ● Apr. 27, 2026
The shuttle grows eerily silent except for Len whispering something I can’t quite make out.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
