whisper
Americanverb (used without object)
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whispers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
whispered,
past participle, past
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whispering
present participle
-
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.
-
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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whispers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
whispered,
past participle, past
-
whispering
present participle
-
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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whispers
plural
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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
-
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
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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whispersimple
-
whisperssimple
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have whisperedperfect
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has whisperedperfect
-
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
-
had whisperedperfect
-
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:
“Your own children are work enough,” they would whisper, shuddering, “just imagine putting up with someone else’s.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
“Walls will begin to whisper throughout. You get to take Paul’s throne and see the desert come alive around you. Guests may even find out if they have what it takes to ride a sandworm.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
Everyone knew their fellow New Yorkers needed a bit of a break, and for a short period, the usual din of the city calmed to a whisper.
From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026
The $6 billion figure was "near the lower end of the whisper range," Innes wrote in a Substack column.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
The more disfigured you become, the more people look at you, step aside, and whisper to each other.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
It also omits Lee and focuses primarily on James Dean’s Cal Trask, one of Cathy’s sons, leaving most of her story to secondhand whispers.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
“I just want to see what kind of car he’s getting into,” Ms. Townsend whispers into the microphone as she trails the same support aide in another video from last month.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
There are whispers of announcements in the next few days on housing and defence.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
In shouts and whispers alike, she made sure people felt valued.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
“I’m really glad to see you three,” she whispers finally.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
In the corridors of Brussels, there's whispered talk of constructing a "special association agreement" with Canada.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
The sweetness, the warmth, the intimacy in a seemingly tossed-off phrase—her songs could be 2½-minute novels, they could be love notes left on a kitchen table, they could be secrets whispered into your ear.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Imagine a little birdie from the future landed on my shoulder and whispered, with 98% probability, exactly what the stock market and bond market are going to do.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 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
"We owe it all to you, our courageous governor," someone whispered in his ear.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
Buddhist, Taoist and sometimes both, the temples on weekday mornings are packed with ordinary people burning offerings and whispering prayers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026
Least of all the relentless drive that would one day have everyone at USC raving and others around the nation whispering about one of the most anticipated freshman in college football.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
"I was sitting at dinner thinking 'what's going on?' Somebody who was helping at the table kept whispering the score to me," says Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
It can occasionally feel as if Refn is playing a game with you, softly whispering if you’re still there.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
I tried rousting them by leaning into them and whispering, “Velia, Delia, wake up. Wake up girls,” but they were out cold, so I closed my eyes and prayed.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
