whisper
Americanverb (used without object)
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whispers,
present (3rd person singular)
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whispered,
past participle, past
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whispering
present participle
-
to speak with soft, hushed sounds, using the breath, lips, etc., but with no vibration of the vocal cords.
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Phonetics. to produce utterance substituting breath for phonation.
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to talk softly and privately (often implying gossip, slander, plotting, or the like).
The king knew that the courtiers were whispering.
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(of trees, water, breezes, etc.) to make a soft, rustling sound like that of whispering.
verb (used with object)
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whispers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
whispered,
past participle, past
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whispering
present participle
-
to utter with soft, low sounds, using the breath, lips, etc..
He whispered endearments to her.
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Phonetics. to utter (speech sounds) substituting breath for phonation.
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to say or tell in a whisper; tell privately.
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to speak to or tell (a person) in a whisper or privately.
noun
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whispers
plural
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the mode of utterance, or the voice, of a person who whispers.
to speak in a whisper.
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a word or remark uttered by whispering.
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a rumor or insinuation.
Whispers circulated about the affair.
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a soft, rustling sound like a whisper.
the whisper of leaves in the wind.
verb
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to speak or utter (something) in a soft hushed tone, esp without vibration of the vocal cords
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(intr) to speak secretly or furtively, as in promoting intrigue, gossip, etc
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(intr) (of leaves, trees, etc) to make a low soft rustling sound
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(tr) to utter or suggest secretly or privately
to whisper treason
noun
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a low soft voice
to speak in a whisper
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something uttered in such a voice
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a low soft rustling sound
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a trace or suspicion
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informal a rumour or secret
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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whispersimple
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whisperssimple
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have whisperedperfect
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has whisperedperfect
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am whisperingprogressive
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are whisperingprogressive
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is whisperingprogressive
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have been whisperingperfect progressive
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has been whisperingperfect progressive
Past
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whisperedsimple
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had whisperedperfect
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was whisperingprogressive
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were whisperingprogressive
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had been whisperingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of whisper
First recorded before 950; Middle English whisperen (verb), Old English hwisprian; akin to German wispern, Old Norse hviskra, hvīsla “to whistle”; cf. whine
Explanation
Psst! When you speak very quietly, so that hardly anyone can hear, you're whispering, or speaking in a whisper. A whisper is the opposite of a shout. When teachers talk about using your outside voice (when you're outside) and your inside voice (for speaking normally), the whisper is even quieter than the inside voice. This word can apply to other sounds too: you could say the wind is whispering. Whispers really do sound a lot like "Psst psst psst" to anyone who can't hear the exact words. You're likely to hear a lot of whispering in the library.
Vocabulary lists containing whisper
"Charlotte's Web": Chapter One
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Vocabulary from poems about communication
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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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.
See Examples For:
In her early songs, her singing rarely rose above a whisper, suggesting the quieter and more conversational mode sometimes deployed by two of her other influences, Lorde and Lana Del Rey.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Some whisper Streeting may replace her, although he denied to me he'd been offered the job by Burnham.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
Watching Graham break into tears and whisper, “You really scared me,” is one of the most vulnerable moments I’ve witnessed in the last six months.
From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026
This is where the dream ends for so many of my parents’ generation, who once came westward on the whisper of hope.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
A tiny touch of her shoulder, a whisper in her ear and she would wake.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
Questions still linger over where the all-British bout would take place, with Eddie Hearn saying Joshua's contract stipulates the UK, but industry whispers suggesting a venue in America.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
It is totally unacceptable and it is heightened by these unfounded whispers which question a referee's impartiality.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Together they exchanged whispers about an artist’s unknown whereabouts and whether or not they would catch him on his descent to the first floor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
This portion of the curriculum, naturally, came with plenty of giggles and whispers.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
By 1941, when her feet and legs swell, whispers about an invasion grow louder.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
A place whispered about online as though it sits just beyond the edges of our known world.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
I whispered as I brought my rod to the 2 o’clock position.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
Some of these residents believe they have a champion in someone who is shouting the things they’ve whispered.
From Slate ● Jun. 3, 2026
If anyone needs the axiom “Tell me who you’re with, and I’ll tell you who you are” whispered to them every morning as a reminder to do better, it’s Spencer Pratt.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
“What in the world have we gotten ourselves into?” she whispered as the security officers climbed out of the boat to flank us on either side.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
“I want to tell you what they’re whispering about Michiganders out in Washington, because I’ve heard it myself,” Ocasio-Cortez told the crowd at the Detroit rally.
From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2026
“He’s whispering to me, ‘Mom, this is your path.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
After the podcast, Swift had "a lot of people whispering in my ear", encouraging her to hook up with Travis.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
She and Justin held their daughter for a few precious moments as her heartbeat stilled, marveling at her perfect tiny fingers and toes and whispering private words of love.
From Salon ● May 27, 2026
Ella’s stomach squeezed as people passed her whispering.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
