whisper

verb whis·per \ ˈhwi-spər , ˈwi- \

|Updated on: 13 Jul 2018

Examples: whisper in a Sentence

Definition of whisper

whispered; whispering play \ˈhwi-sp(ə-)riŋ, ˈwi-\

intransitive verb

1 : to speak softly with little or no vibration of the vocal cords especially to avoid being overheard

2 : to make a sibilant sound that resembles whispering

transitive verb

1 : to address in a whisper

2 : to utter or communicate in or as if in a whisper

See whisper defined for English-language learners

See whisper defined for kids

Examples of whisper in a Sentence

He whispered in my ear.
She leaned over and whispered to the girl next to her.
I couldn't hear what they were saying because they were whispering.
She leaned over and whispered something to the girl next to her.
“I'll be right back,” she whispered.
A soft breeze whispered through the trees.

Recent Examples of whisper from the Web

One man clutched his belongings in a trash bag, and the Honduran woman whispered prayers as the procession wound up a ramp to the hallway that leads to the United States.

— kate morrissey, latimes.com, "As migrant caravan in Mexico arrives at the U.S. border, hundreds are already there — waiting for asylum," 25 Apr. 2018
Create the stillness to listen in deeply to your own whispering heart.

— bess matassa, Teen Vogue, "Monthly Lovescopes April 2018," 27 Mar. 2018
The assurance from the chief of staff was intended to silence whispers about a looming purge of Trump’s top aides and Cabinet.

— justin sink, Bloomberg.com, "Kelly Tells White House Staff Their Jobs Are Safe," 16 Mar. 2018
The day of the case, in the press gallery, a journalist near me kept whispering questions to a more experienced reporter on his left.

— simon van zuylen-wood, Daily Intelligencer, "How Neil Gorsuch Became the Second-Most-Polarizing Man in Washington," 28 May 2018
Acquaintances whisper about you, and close friends are worried.

— laurie penny, Longreads, "Who Does She Think She Is?," 29 Mar. 2018
Their confidence, no matter how quietly whispered, must be shaken, though.

— bryce miller, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Padres' nagging question: How do you jump-start Manny Margot?," 28 May 2018
Who better than Kore-eda, a director who whispers instead of shouts, is able to capture contradictions and issues though such a subtle, unforced style of story-telling?

— deborah young, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Shoplifters' ('Manbiki Kazoku'): Film Review | Cannes 2018," 14 May 2018
In the front of the venue, the A-list models posted up: Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner stood up against the wall, on top of a banquette, dancing, whispering occasionally, and greeting a rotation of friends.

— josh duboff, Vanities, "Rihanna’s Met Ball After-Party Draws Emma Stone, the Hadids, and an Impromptu Jaden Smith Performance," 8 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'whisper.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of whisper

Middle English, from Old English hwisperian; akin to Old High German hwispalōn to whisper, Old Norse hvīsla — more at whistle

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

whisper Synonyms

Synonyms

bruit (about), circulate, noise (about or abroad), rumor;

Related Words

bandy (about), blab, gossip, tattle;

bare, disclose, divulge, expose, let on (about), report, reveal, spill, tell;

hint, imply, insinuate, intimate, suggest;

broadcast, proclaim, propagate, publicize, spread;

whisper

noun

Definition of whisper

1 : something communicated by or as if by whispering; especially : rumor

whispers of scandal

2 a : an act or instance of whispering; especially : speech without vibration of the vocal cords

b : a sibilant sound that resembles whispered speech

3 : hint, trace

See whisper defined for English-language learners

Examples of whisper in a Sentence

She spoke in a whisper.
the whisper of the wind
I've heard whispers that the company might go out of business.

Recent Examples of whisper from the Web

But the whispers of his move to the Western Conference became too loud to ignore this season.

— ben cohen, WSJ, "How LeBron James Was Courted by the Lakers," 2 July 2018
Marquise Walker has heard the critical whispers and seen negative social media comments.

— rick armstrong, Aurora Beacon-News, "On guard: Marquise Walker's transfer from Curie gives West Aurora talented backcourt combo," 21 June 2018
Graff diamonds, known for its flawless or near-flawless yellow, pink, blue and white diamonds, reopened on June 20 with scarcely a whisper.

— carolyne zinko, SFChronicle.com, "Graff jeweler reopens with a whisper for hush-hush clients in SF," 20 June 2018
The sidewalks of uptown Charlotte have a new hum these days: the whisper of electric scooters, dozens of them, unleashed last month by a city experiment in new ways of getting around town.

— bruce henderson, charlotteobserver, "'Saw a guy riding down the sidewalk... texting on his phone.' Here come the scooters.," 14 June 2018
Woewiyu, dressed in a dark suit and red tie, looked relaxed during much of Tuesday’s proceedings, leaning back in his chair, chewing gum, and occasionally pausing to whisper to Henry and co-counsel Mark Wilson.

— jeremy roebuck, Philly.com, "Lawyers for Delco Liberian accused of hiding record of war crimes say convicting him won't change the past," 12 June 2018
Succeed, and the whispers of 2021 being the Royals’ next competitive season — when prospects Nick Pratto, MJ Melendez, Seuly Matias, Khalil Lee and myriad others are estimated to arrive in the major leagues — might gain some credence.

— maria torres, kansascity, "Royals have five of the top 60 picks in MLB draft that starts Monday," 2 June 2018
May 25—Ehrenreich is finally, a little bit, somewhat free to dispel some of the whispers, and try to reshape the narrative that’s been coloring his career.

— yohana desta, HWD, "Alden Ehrenreich Wants to Set the Record Straight About Solo Acting Coach Rumors," 24 Apr. 2018
On Wednesday, the whispers grew considerably louder.

— BostonGlobe.com, "The week in business," 31 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of whisper

1595

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

whisper Synonyms

Synonyms

canard, story, tale;

defamation, libel, slander;

hearsay;

fable, fabrication, fairy tale, falsehood, falsity, fib, lie, mendacity, prevarication, untruth, whopper;

WHISPER Defined for English Language Learners

whisper

verb

Definition of whisper for English Language Learners

: to speak very softly or quietly
: to produce a quiet sound

whisper

noun

Definition of whisper for English Language Learners

: a very soft and quiet way of speaking
: a soft and quiet sound
: a very small amount of something

WHISPER Defined for Kids

whisper

verb whis·per \ ˈhwi-spər , ˈwi- \

Definition of whisper for Students

whispered; whispering

1 : to speak softly and quietly

2 : to tell by speaking softly and quietly

“I would miss you, Nick,” I whispered. “I would.”
—Patricia MacLachlan, Sarah, Plain and Tall

3 : to make a low rustling sound

The wind whispered in the trees.

whisper

noun

Definition of whisper for Students

1 : a soft quiet way of speaking that can be heard only by people who are near

2 : the act of speaking softly and quietly

3 : something said softly and quietly

4 : ¹hint 2

a whisper of smoke

Learn More about whisper

See words that rhyme with whisper Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for whisper Spanish Central: Translation of whisper Nglish: Translation of whisper for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of whisper for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about whisper

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whisper

Definition of whisper

Examples of whisper in a Sentence

Recent Examples of whisper from the Web

Origin and Etymology of whisper

whisper Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

whisper

Definition of whisper

Examples of whisper in a Sentence

Recent Examples of whisper from the Web

First Known Use of whisper

whisper Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Phrases Related to WHISPER

Related Phrases

WHISPER Defined for English Language Learners

whisper

Definition of whisper for English Language Learners

whisper

Definition of whisper for English Language Learners

WHISPER Defined for Kids

whisper

Definition of whisper for Students

whisper

Definition of whisper for Students

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