whisper
verb (used without object)
to speak with soft, hushed sounds, using the breath, lips, etc., but with no vibration of the vocal cords.
had been whispering
-
past perfect progressiveof whisper.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
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.
Researchers had been whispering about not being able to repeat big findings years before the priming bubble began to burst, says Nosek.
From Nature ● Dec. 10, 2019
Now he could fully turn toward the projects that had been whispering in his ear during all these months of writers’ rooms and outlining and script writing.
From New York Times ● Jun. 26, 2018
People had been whispering it for more than a year.
From The Guardian ● Dec. 4, 2016
Yang at the 2009 PGA, failing for the first time in 15 tries to maintain a 54-hole lead in a major championship, other players began to say publicly what they had been whispering privately.
From Golf Digest ● Apr. 26, 2010
Nobody was supposed to talk about it, but everyone had been whispering about it for days.
From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely
