whispering

1 of 2

noun

whis·​per·​ing ˈ(h)wi-sp(ə-)riŋ 

1

a

: whispered speech

b

: gossip, rumor

2

: a sibilant sound : whisper

whispering

2 of 2

adjective

1

: making a sibilant sound

2

: spreading confidential and especially derogatory reports

… whispering tongues can poison truth …

—Samuel Taylor Coleridge

whisperingly

ˈ(h)wi-sp(ə-)riŋ-lē 

adverb

Examples of whispering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Two guys at the golf course are winking, and whispering, and tipping each other off. — Jon Wertheim, CBS News, 28 June 2026

Mira and two friends moved to a low wall and huddled around their own smartwatches, whispering and laughing. — Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026

Adjective

Pluto’s been whispering to you about long-term transformation; now that whisper may become a roar. — Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 30 Sep. 2025

Rustling wind could be witches whispering; distant thundering and howling could be vessels taking off. — Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing whispering

• whispering campaign
• whispering sweet nothings