sibilant
Americanadjective
-
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
adjective
-
phonetics relating to or denoting the consonants (s, z, / ʃ /, / ʒ /), all pronounced with a characteristic hissing sound
-
having a hissing sound
the sibilant sound of wind among the leaves
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sibilant
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; see -ant
Explanation
Something that’s sibilant has a hissing sound, like when the librarian says, “Shhhhhhhh!” Sibilant entered English in the 17th century from the Latin word sibilant-, meaning “hissing.” When you listen to a foreign language that’s full of hissy “es” or “sh” or “zzz” sounds, those sounds are called sibilants. The sound is made by forcing air out toward your teeth. Try it: say “sash.” That’s a sibilant. As an adjective, use sibilant to describe something characterized by that hissing sound. Your sibilant whisper probably will be heard by the librarian.
Vocabulary lists containing sibilant
To Kill a Mockingbird
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"A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner
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Lend Me Your Ears: Sound Words
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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.
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.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 31, 2024
The sibilant sound of the rattlesnake's tail has long been a movie cliché.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2021
The insectivorous choruses actually synchronize their sibilant symphonies in a deafening, but gorgeous, hum.
From Scientific American ● Jun. 14, 2021
He was sometimes criticised and even ridiculed for never changing his deep, abrasive, slightly sibilant Scottish burr no matter if he were playing an Irishman, an Arab or a Russian.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 31, 2020
A terrible, shameful image comes to me: Kamal with his delicate hands, his reassuring manner, his sibilant speech, contrasted with Scott, huge and powerful, wild, desperate.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
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.
