sibilance

American  

[sib-uh-luhns] / ˈsɪb ə ləns /

Rarely sibilancy

noun

1. a hissing quality of sound, or the hissing sound itself.

   I stretched out comfortably in my sleeping bag, peering up at the stars and listening to the ocean's gentle sibilance.

   The older, poorer quality recordings had more than a hint of sibilance.

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Other Word Forms

• nonsibilance
  noun
• subsibilance
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of sibilance

First recorded in 1800–10; sibil(ant) ( def. ) + -ance ( def. )

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Explanation

Anything that makes a hissing sound has the quality of sibilance, like the sentence "The sassy snake slithered slowly." Sibilance derives from a Latin root, sibilare, which means "to hiss or whistle." There's a certain sibilance in the word itself, with its repeated s sounds. The sound of an angry snake, a whistling wind, a librarian's "Shhhhhh!" or your friend trying to get your attention by saying "Psssst!" — these are all examples of sibilance.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sibilance

Even now, she records many of her vocals at home, with a sock stretched over the microphone to prevent popping and sibilance.

From BBC ● Feb. 23, 2026

The EQ has improved refinement, though it’s still the usual curve that lifts the bass and treble, and highs can sometimes give off more sibilance than I’d prefer.

From The Verge ● Jun. 14, 2021

“If I had,” this dainty woman says mildly, with a faintly Teutonic sibilance, “I would be getting out of prison right about now.”

From Washington Post ● Sep. 30, 2019

Burmese Days by George Orwell The sweet sibilance of the title alone makes this a compulsory choice.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 10, 2019

The deletions are tempting to a writer because they tighten up a sentence’s rhythm and avoid the ugly sibilance of which.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

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Related Words

• catcall
• hoot

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