whisper
verb (used without object)
to speak with soft, hushed sounds, using the breath, lips, etc., but with no vibration of the vocal cords.
were whispering
-
past progressiveof whisper.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
But one question kept resurfacing, from multiple corners of the inbox, as if readers were whispering it behind cupped hands: What if we just aren’t a pie family?
From Salon ● Nov. 27, 2025
As I arrived in Downing Street to interview the prime minister earlier this week, his aides were whispering about some mysterious last minute "artwork" that was yet to appear.
From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2024
“People were whispering, and then I got a message from my family back home telling me the queen had died.”
From New York Times ● Sep. 8, 2022
Even if he spent more time in town, he wouldn’t know if neighbors were whispering about him — he doesn’t speak English.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 1, 2018
They were whispering, but I was only in the kitchen so I could hear every word.
From "The Lions of Little Rock" by Kristin Levine
