sibilant

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adjective

sib·i·lant ˈsi-bə-lənt

Synonyms of sibilant next

: 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

sibilant

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noun

: a sibilant speech sound (such as English \s\, \z\, \sh\, \zh\, \ch(=tsh)\, or \j(=dzh)\)

Example Sentences

Adjective the sibilant hiss of a snake

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

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 Mandarin Chinese, for example, is packed with sibilant and strident sounds like English, where air is pushed with more force through the mucus membranes. —

Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 11 June 2020 The five-minute piece, written by Jason Eckardt, consists of cries, truncated syllables and sharp sibilant sounds that appear to resemble someone angrily shushing herself. —

New York Times, 21 Nov. 2019 Here Comes the Sun’ (RCA/Victor, 1971) A stark, sibilant cover with abundant harp and tape hiss, Nina Simone’s take on the Beatles was a mainstay of early mornings (and afternoons) at Loft parties. —

Aaron Gonsher, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2020 Descriptions of the trend pioneered by the siblings were sibilant: soccer-style, sidewinder, sidesaddle. —

Michael Farber, SI.com, 2 July 2018

Noun

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 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sibilant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.