whispering

[ hwis-per-ing, wis- ]

/ ˈʰwɪs pər ɪŋ, ˈwɪs- /

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See synonyms for whispering on Thesaurus.com

noun

whispered talk or conversation.

rumor, hearsay, or gossip.

a whispered sound.

adjective

that whispers; making a sound like a whisper.

like a whisper.

given to whispering; gossipy.

conversing in whispers.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

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Origin of whispering

before 1000; Middle English (noun), Old English hwisprunge.See whisper, -ing², -ing¹

OTHER WORDS FROM whispering

whis·per·ing·ly, adverbhalf-whis·per·ing·ly, adverbun·whis·per·ing, adjective

Words nearby whispering

whisky mac, Whisky Rebellion, whisper, whispered, whisperer, whispering, whispering campaign, whispering gallery, whisperous, whispery, whist

How to use whispering in a sentence

The whisperings I heard of brand deals and $5,000 contracts for a set of Instagram stories hovered just above me, something that only felt attainable with a college degree and a day job in marketing.
Wealth inequality exists among influencers, too|Beatrice Forman|September 1, 2021|Vox
Once they parked, there was presumably some frantic whispering, and lots of cussing.
The ballad of the Chowchilla bus kidnapping|Kaleb Horton|July 23, 2021|Vox
A refrigerator’s noise runs on average at 50 decibels, while a whispering conversation hovers around 20 decibels.
Best air purifier: Fight allergens, smoke, and germs for cleaner indoor air|PopSci Commerce Team|December 17, 2020|Popular-Science
Whispering to himself and bowing, he touches his forehead to the ground.
Heart of Darkness: Into Afghanistan’s Taliban Valley|Matt Trevithick, Daniel Seckman|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Bartiromo is, of course, just another gossipmonger and Newsball is his online whispering-gallery.
He Bullies Kids and Calls It News|Brandy Zadrozny|June 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The budget is a mess and officials in Trenton are whispering about a state takeover of the city's finances.
The Leak of a Mysterious Video Could Change the Outcome of Newark’s Mayor’s Race|Charles Upton Sahm|May 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The World Wide Web is whispering that it's actually a reference to Avril Lavigne's own, well, “kitty.”
Avril Lavigne’s Dumb ‘Hello Kitty’ Video Is Rife with Cultural Appropriation|Amy Zimmerman|April 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I studied them to see if they were whispering to each other, to talk about what to do.
What That RNC Aide’s Equal Pay Blunder on MSNBC Says About Her Party|Michael Tomasky|April 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The old man seemed to be greatly agitated, and hurriedly whispering, "We thought you were never coming, sir!"
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
And Tony leaned over as he talked, bringing their lips within whispering distance.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
How still it was, with only the voice of the sea whispering through the reeds that grew in the salt-water pools!
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
Edna could hear the whispering voices of dead men and the click of muffled gold.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
I lay against a corner of the stockade seat, listening to the wind whispering and to the ceaseless drip-drip of the trees.
Three More John Silence Stories|Algernon Blackwood