whis·per
ˈ(h)wi-spər 
whispered; whispering
ˈ(h)wi-sp(ə-)riŋ
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
1
: something communicated by or as if by whispering
2
a
: an act or instance of whispering
especially
: speech without vibration of the vocal cords
b
: a sibilant sound that resembles whispered speech
Synonyms
Examples of whisper in a Sentence
Verb
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.
Noun
She spoke in a whisper.
the whisper of the wind
I've heard whispers that the company might go out of business.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Somebody in Sin City must’ve whispered his name three times because Beetlejuice manifested on the Colosseum stage at Caesars Palace Tuesday afternoon.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2024
Graduate transfer guard McKenzie Forbes whispered to Watkins that her announcement sounded like a challenge to the rest of the country.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
Two of the most traumatic days in the city’s past were essentially whispered away.
—Joe Heim, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024
But an hour’s flight away is Benin City, the capital of Edo State in southern Nigeria, which, if whispers in the art world are anything to go by, is hot on Lagos’s heels.
—Funmi Fetto, Vogue, 26 Mar. 2024
As Bob Melvin prepared to address reporters afterward, a communications staffer rushed to his side and whispered a message in his ear.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024
The butterflies whispered, at first just random words.
—Hazlitt, 13 Mar. 2024
In the background, two girls could be seen whispering in view of the camera.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2024
Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The whispers and allegations were not enough to prevent his superiors from deploying him.
—Tamara Audi, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Whatever the truth of it, Petco Park silenced the whispers.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2024
Presidential whispers began as soon as he was elected, but that bloom began to fade in 2022 when Youngkin campaigned around the country for 15 Republican gubernatorial candidates and only five of them won.
—Gregory S. Schneider, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
As the old adage goes, money screams and wealth whispers, and there is absolutely no screaming at The Row, a brand that sells white T-shirts for $550.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2024
On a Friday call with reporters, Mr. Biden’s campaign aides did little to hide their frustration with coverage from the political news media and nervous whispers from Democratic allies about polling that shows the president trailing Mr. Trump nationally and in the important battleground states.
—Nicholas Nehamas, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024
So the outside noise stays right there, outside, while inside the team’s circle there are no whispers, there is no doubt.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024
And all the attention had made the whispers about Hoover’s identity harder to ignore.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024
Verb
In a sweet photo posted on Crown Prince Hussein's Instagram page, he's seen whispering behind his hand to his then-fiancée, saying something that caused Princess Rajwa to smile.
—Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Somebody in Sin City must’ve whispered his name three times because Beetlejuice manifested on the Colosseum stage at Caesars Palace Tuesday afternoon.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2024
Graduate transfer guard McKenzie Forbes whispered to Watkins that her announcement sounded like a challenge to the rest of the country.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
Two of the most traumatic days in the city’s past were essentially whispered away.
—Joe Heim, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024
But an hour’s flight away is Benin City, the capital of Edo State in southern Nigeria, which, if whispers in the art world are anything to go by, is hot on Lagos’s heels.
—Funmi Fetto, Vogue, 26 Mar. 2024
As Bob Melvin prepared to address reporters afterward, a communications staffer rushed to his side and whispered a message in his ear.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024
The butterflies whispered, at first just random words.
—Hazlitt, 13 Mar. 2024
In the background, two girls could be seen whispering in view of the camera.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2024
Noun
Amid all the whispers and innuendo that Ohtani was the perpetrator, he has finally been given an official title that cleanses the optics and polishes the image.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The whispers and allegations were not enough to prevent his superiors from deploying him.
—Tamara Audi, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Whatever the truth of it, Petco Park silenced the whispers.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2024
Presidential whispers began as soon as he was elected, but that bloom began to fade in 2022 when Youngkin campaigned around the country for 15 Republican gubernatorial candidates and only five of them won.
—Gregory S. Schneider, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
As the old adage goes, money screams and wealth whispers, and there is absolutely no screaming at The Row, a brand that sells white T-shirts for $550.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2024
On a Friday call with reporters, Mr. Biden’s campaign aides did little to hide their frustration with coverage from the political news media and nervous whispers from Democratic allies about polling that shows the president trailing Mr. Trump nationally and in the important battleground states.
—Nicholas Nehamas, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024
So the outside noise stays right there, outside, while inside the team’s circle there are no whispers, there is no doubt.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024
And all the attention had made the whispers about Hoover’s identity harder to ignore.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whisper.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near whisper
Cite this Entry
“Whisper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whisper. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
whisper
2 of 2 noun1
: something said by or as if by whispering
2
: an act or instance of whispering
3
: a barely noticeable amount : hint
showed only a whisper of concern
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