definitions

sibilate

[ sib-uh-leyt ]
/ ˈsɪb əˌleɪt /
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sibilate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), sib·i·lat·ed, sib·i·lat·ing.

to hiss.

verb (used with object), sib·i·lat·ed, sib·i·lat·ing.

to utter or pronounce with a hissing sound.

RELATED WORDS

whisper, disapprove, hoot, whiz, deride, condemn, blow, decry, damn, rasp, shrill, mock, fizz, sizzle, spit, whistle, revile, wheeze, catcall, swish

Nearby words

siberian wallflower, siberite, sibilant, sibilant rale, sibilantly, sibilate, sibir, sibirʾ, sibiu, sibling, sibling species

Origin of sibilate

1650–60; < Latin sībilātus (past participle of sībilāre to hiss); see sibilant, -ate1
Related formssib·i·la·tion, nounsib·i·la·tor, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for sibilate

sibilate

/ (ˈsɪbɪˌleɪt) /

verb

to pronounce or utter (words or speech) with a hissing sound
Derived Formssibilation, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012