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

Etymology

Origin of whispering

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

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

But Espinosa said attendees spent more time whispering about her outfit than talking about her presentation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

“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

Frank and Joe heard some of their teammates still whispering angrily.

From "The Missing Mitt (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #2)" by Franklin W. Dixon

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

“Whatever the rumors are, it’ll all be forgotten in a week—just you wait. Let him find a new woman he likes and you’ll vanish from the whisperings of the court.”

From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas