sib·i·lant
ˈsi-bə-lənt 
: having, containing, or producing the sound of or a sound resembling that of the s or the sh in sash
a sibilant affricate
a sibilant snake
sibilantly
adverb
: a sibilant speech sound (such as English \s\, \z\, \sh\, \zh\, \ch(=tsh)\, or \j(=dzh)\)
Examples of sibilant in a Sentence
Adjective
the sibilant hiss of a snake
Recent Examples on the Web
PCMAG, 10 July 2024
Test recordings were sharp and clear, perhaps to the point of sounding slightly sibilant if the mic was too close to the mouth.
—PCMAG, 24 June 2024
Since about 700 or more contacts occur per second--far too many for the human ear to distinguish--the buzz has a sizzling or sibilant quality.
—Thomas Palmer, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
His voice is so popular that there is a piece of software that purports to convert your own speech into Mr. Herzog’s baritone, complete with his sibilant Bavarian consonants and deliberately impassive delivery.
—Farran Smith Nehme, WSJ, 6 Oct. 2023
The sound is powerful and energetic with well-balanced bass, a solid midrange and a particularly sparkling treble that manages to be sharp but never sibilant.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2021
The right lung was healthy; the breathing sounds were soft and sibilant.
—Tony Dajer, Discover Magazine, 30 Apr. 2015
Colm explains the film’s title as nothing more than a songwriter’s sibilant convenience.
—Armond White, National Review, 23 Dec. 2022
The Mammoth handles those frequencies without ever being harsh or sibilant, yet the sound is never woolly or muffled.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2021
John McPhee, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
What’s the rule on forming a singular possessive of a name ending with a sibilant?
—Daniel Foster, National Review, 19 Sep. 2024
The superb soundtrack deepens that push-pull, in the sibilant whoosh of ocean waves, the gentle percussion of rain against a city window, the incessant murmur of an airport terminal.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Apr. 2023
The insectivorous choruses actually synchronize their sibilant symphonies in a deafening, but gorgeous, hum.
—Ross Kenneth Urken, Scientific American, 14 June 2021
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Adjective
Our test recordings were free of noticeable fuzz and generally crisp without being sibilant.
—PCMAG, 10 July 2024
Test recordings were sharp and clear, perhaps to the point of sounding slightly sibilant if the mic was too close to the mouth.
—PCMAG, 24 June 2024
Since about 700 or more contacts occur per second--far too many for the human ear to distinguish--the buzz has a sizzling or sibilant quality.
—Thomas Palmer, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
His voice is so popular that there is a piece of software that purports to convert your own speech into Mr. Herzog’s baritone, complete with his sibilant Bavarian consonants and deliberately impassive delivery.
—Farran Smith Nehme, WSJ, 6 Oct. 2023
The sound is powerful and energetic with well-balanced bass, a solid midrange and a particularly sparkling treble that manages to be sharp but never sibilant.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2021
The right lung was healthy; the breathing sounds were soft and sibilant.
—Tony Dajer, Discover Magazine, 30 Apr. 2015
Colm explains the film’s title as nothing more than a songwriter’s sibilant convenience.
—Armond White, National Review, 23 Dec. 2022
The Mammoth handles those frequencies without ever being harsh or sibilant, yet the sound is never woolly or muffled.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2021
Noun
Spelling Bee Tedious, invidious, devious, conquer, identify, magnify, sibilant, uranium.
—John McPhee, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
What’s the rule on forming a singular possessive of a name ending with a sibilant?
—Daniel Foster, National Review, 19 Sep. 2024
The superb soundtrack deepens that push-pull, in the sibilant whoosh of ocean waves, the gentle percussion of rain against a city window, the incessant murmur of an airport terminal.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Apr. 2023
The insectivorous choruses actually synchronize their sibilant symphonies in a deafening, but gorgeous, hum.
—Ross Kenneth Urken, Scientific American, 14 June 2021
Cite this Entry
“Sibilant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sibilant. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sibilant
1 of 2 adjective
sib·i·lant
ˈsib-ə-lənt
: having or producing the sound of or a sound like the s or the sh in sash
sibilant
2 of 2 noun
: a sibilant speech sound (as English \s\, \z\, \sh\, \zh\, \ch (=tsh)\, or \j (=dzh)\)
Medical Definition
sibilant
1 of 2 adjective
sib·i·lant
ˈsib-ə-lənt
: having, containing, or producing the sound of or a sound resembling that of the s or sh in sash
a sibilant speech sound
sibilant breathing
sibilant rales
sibilant
2 of 2 noun
: a sibilant speech sound (as English \s\, \z\, \sh\, \zh\, \ch(=t + sh)\, or \j(=d + zh)\)
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