whistling 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of whistlingnext
as in shrill
having a high musical pitch or range the whistling sound of missiles as they sped toward their targets

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

whistling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of whistle
as in wheezing

Related Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for whistling
  1. shrill
  2. wheezing
  3. hissing
  4. whooshing
  5. swooshing
Adjective
  • With a soprano voice that’s sharp but never shrill, O’Donovan can levitate a heartfelt melody over just about any kind of accompaniment.
    — Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026
  • When Caleb Hammer, a thirty-one-year-old personal-finance YouTuber, gets particularly exasperated, his voice enters a shrill upper register.
    — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of shrill
Verb
  • Lung inflammation makes breathing tougher and coughing and wheezing more frequent.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Her baby lies still in her arms, his breathing faintly wheezing.
    — Fatma Tanis, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of wheezing
Verb
  • In the first week of the COVID shutdown, Holmes packed her two hissing black cats, donned an N95 mask and flew to LAX.
    — Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • This step is what brought us here, to Ponysaurus, filling out the online notice to the tune of a hissing compressor that kept clean air moving through the brewing system.
    — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of hissing
Verb
  • Windows frame mountain views, opening onto terraces that overlook skiers whooshing down the slopes.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 17 June 2026
  • The motionless people drooling on the sidewalk, the Waymos whooshing around with no one inside.
    — Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Definition of whooshing
Verb
  • The same crystalline waters swooshing the pebbled coast of San Lucas Island were once murked by the crimson red of blood.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 24 July 2026
  • Dollop whipped cream over panna cotta and spread, swooshing decoratively as desired.
    — Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Definition of swooshing
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

whistle-stops
whistling
whit
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Whistling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whistling. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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