sibilant

[sib-uh-luhnt]

adjective

1. hissing.

2. Phonetics.,  characterized by a hissing sound; noting sounds like those spelled with s in this rose pressure pleasure and certain similar uses of ch, sh, z, zh, etc.

noun

1. Phonetics.,  a sibilant consonant.

sibilant

/ ˈsɪbɪlənt /

adjective

1. phonetics relating to or denoting the consonants (s, z, / ʃ /, / ʒ /), all pronounced with a characteristic hissing sound

2. having a hissing sound

   the sibilant sound of wind among the leaves

noun

1. a sibilant consonant

Other Word Forms

• sibilance noun
• sibilancy noun
• sibilantly adverb
• nonsibilant adjective
• nonsibilantly adverb
• subsibilant adjective
• subsibilantly adverb
• unsibilant adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sibilant¹

First recorded before 1660–70; from Latin sībilant- (stem of sībilāns ), present participle of sībilāre “to hiss”), equivalent to sībil(us) “a hissing, whistling” (imitative of the sound) + -ant- adjective suffix; -ant

Word History and Origins

Origin of sibilant¹

C17: from Latin sībilāre to hiss, of imitative origin; compare Greek sizein to hiss

Example Sentences

When addressing Neo as “Mister Anderson” with a decidedly sibilant ess as robotic as it is arrogant, Weaving makes his character’s disaffected voice unsettling precisely because of how familiar it sounds.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In another passage, the players briefly whisper sibilants; a series of sliding glissandos in a double bass near the end, almost vocal, feels like a tiny, impeded aria.

Read more on New York Times

They called out to each other in a flowing, sibilant tongue.

Read more on Literature

Even their language sets them apart from their neighbors: an invisible barrier of sibilants and elided vowels that always sounds like music to me.

Read more on Seattle Times

The sibilant sound of the rattlesnake's tail has long been a movie cliché.

Read more on BBC