sibilant

1 of 2

adjective

sib·​i·​lant ˈsi-bə-lənt How to pronounce sibilant (audio)
: 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

2 of 2

noun

: 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
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.
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
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

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin sibilant-, sibilans, present participle of sibilare to hiss, whistle, of imitative origin

First Known Use

Adjective

1669, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1788, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sibilant was in 1669

Dictionary Entries Near sibilant

Cite this Entry

“Sibilant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sibilant. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

sibilant

1 of 2 adjective
sib·​i·​lant ˈsib-ə-lənt How to pronounce sibilant (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce sibilant (audio)
: 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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