whisperer

noun

whis·​per·​er ˈ(h)wi-spər-ər 

plural whisperers

1

: one that whispers

specifically : rumormonger

2

a

: a person who excels at calming or training usually hard-to-manage animals using noncoercive methods based especially on an understanding of the animals' natural instincts

The last event of the day will be the horse whisperer breaking a wild horse and giving his testimony while he does it.

—Dale Carroll

A lion that mauled a young woman to death in South Africa was under the care of a man known as the "lion whisperer" for his close interactions with the predators.

—The Lewiston (Idaho) Morning Tribune

b

: a person who is unusually skilled at calmly guiding, influencing, or managing other people

Colleagues often call Williams the "child whisperer" because he reaches out with a quiet grace to children who need assistance and molds students who need to believe in their own future.

—Annie Martin

c

: a person considered to possess some extraordinary skill or talent in managing or dealing with something specified

Meatballs with spaghetti, meatball sliders, meatballs in a casserole, or just meatballs on the plate with a salad, my boys love them all, going so far as to call me the meatball whisperer.

—Neely Myers

Examples of whisperer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Gifted with a love of the outdoors and an adventurous spirit, Mrs. Smith enjoyed riding a motorcycle, liked to observe wildlife, and was something of a deer whisperer. —Frederick N. Rasmussen, Baltimore Sun, 25 Jan. 2024

Mammoth’s ‘bear whisperer’ will teach you how to coexist Oct. 3, 2023 Advertisement Fluctuations in American deer populations reflect a deeper human story. —Lorraine Berry, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2023

Later on, Chalamet swayed his hips in another sketch that defined him as a youth whisperer. —Esther Zuckerman, The Atlantic, 12 Nov. 2023

He is supposed to be a pedestrian whisperer — someone who greets visitors, gives directions, answers questions and listens to concerns. —Danielle Paquette, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023

The film also features the Chinese martial-arts film superstar Wu Jing, who as Statham’s colleague doesn’t get much in the way of action scenes, though his character does get to show off his talents as a meg whisperer. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 3 Aug. 2023

Companies are turning to office whisperers like Tsipursky: hybrid experts who claim that if companies follow their advice, mandates won’t be necessary. —Emma Goldberg, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2023

How food influencers can make or break restaurants Food Criticism Second place: Bill Addison, Where’s the snook whisperer? —Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2023

The collection this season was inspired by equestrian and military suiting, and its runway show featured wild horses and a horse whisperer. —Brittany Natale, Harper's BAZAAR, 24 July 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1