Showing results for "whispering"

• present participle of whisper.

whispering

American  

[hwis-per-ing, wis-] / ˈʰwɪs pər ɪŋ, ˈwɪs- /

noun

• whisperings
  plural

1. whispered talk or conversation.

2. rumor, hearsay, or gossip.

3. a whispered sound.

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adjective

1. that whispers; making a sound like a whisper.

2. like a whisper.

3. given to whispering; gossipy.

4. conversing in whispers.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unwhispering
  adjective
• half-whisperingly
  adverb
• whisperingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• whisperings
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of whispering

before 1000; Middle English (noun), Old English hwisprunge. See whisper, -ing ², -ing ¹

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Explanation

Whispering is what you do when you speak so softly that you can barely be heard. Most teachers have a rule that there's no whispering allowed while the class is taking a test. Whispering involves using your breath, rather than your vocal cords, to speak very quietly. You might hear whispering in the quiet section of the library or during a play or movie — it's used for communicating secrets or simply to avoid bothering other people. The word can also be used as an adjective for sounds that resemble a whisper, like the whispering wind through the trees on a breezy day.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

whispering whisperings

“And it felt like my grandparents were right there with me, whispering: ‘It’s your turn.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026

The town moves from pitying her to whispering that she’s crazy, leaving her rutted in the anger stage of the grieving process.

From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2026

Buddhist, Taoist and sometimes both, the temples on weekday mornings are packed with ordinary people burning offerings and whispering prayers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

"I was sitting at dinner thinking 'what's going on?' Somebody who was helping at the table kept whispering the score to me," says Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

She walked with light steps, whispering the names of every tree and flower, careful not to trample any saplings or mushrooms as she stepped.

From "I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980" by Lauren Tarshis

Compared to the library whisperings of the 2.5-liter hybrid, the 2.0-liter EcoBoost raises a ruckus at high loads and rpm.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

However, there was broad and vociferous support for Baroness Kidron, a film director and digital rights campaigner, who accused ministers of being swayed by the "whisperings of Silicon Valley" asking them to "redefine theft".

From BBC ● May 19, 2025

That’s no different from the way the first season tricked us into obsessing over those mud and hair totems and whisperings about the Yellow King for nothing.

From Salon ● Jan. 14, 2024

Your colleagues are covering up whisperings about room décor, I said.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 8, 2023

"You would bring us the whisperings of a traitor half a world away, my lord. Perhaps Mormont is wrong. Perhaps he is lying."

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

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