Meaning & use
whisper
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To say something using only your breath and very little voice, so that people nearby can barely hear you.
Grammar: Can take an object or a quote: she whispered a secret; or stand alone, often with to: he whispered to her.
Patterns
- whisper to someone
- whisper something to someone
- whisper that something
The librarian whispered that the reading room was about to close.
During the film, Mia whispered a joke to her brother.
Don't whisper in front of the guests; it looks rude.
nouncountable
A very quiet way of speaking, using breath rather than full voice, or the soft sound this makes.
Grammar: Usually singular with an or in: she spoke in a whisper.
Patterns
- in a whisper
- a whisper of something
He answered in a whisper so he wouldn't wake the baby.
A whisper ran through the audience as the curtain rose.
The whisper of leaves was the only sound in the garden.
nouncountableinformal
A piece of unconfirmed news passed quietly from person to person; a rumor.
Grammar: Often plural: whispers about a merger. Usually followed by about or of.
Patterns
- whispers about something
- there are whispers that something
There were whispers that the manager was about to resign.
Whispers of a pay freeze spread through the office.
She ignored the whispers about her new job.
Word forms
| third person singular | whispers |
|---|---|
| past tense | whispered |
| past participle | whispered |
| -ing form | whispering |
Common combinations
- whisper softly
- She whispered softly so the sleeping children would not stir.
- whisper in someone's ear
- He leaned over and whispered in her ear.
- barely a whisper
- Her reply was barely a whisper.
- stage whisper
- He added a stage whisper that the whole room heard.
- whispered conversation
- A whispered conversation went on behind the door.
- whisper campaign
- The rival's supporters ran a whisper campaign against her.
Synonyms and how they differ
- murmur
- Murmur suggests a low, continuous sound that may still use the voice, while whisper uses breath and is meant to keep words private.
- mutter
- Mutter is low and unclear, often from annoyance, whereas whisper is usually clear and meant for a chosen listener.
- hiss
- Hiss is a sharp whispered sound, usually angry or urgent, and is more forceful than a plain whisper.
- breathe
- Breathe as a speech verb is more literary and suggests an especially soft, emotional whisper.
Opposites
Word family
- whisperer noun
- someone who whispers, as in a horse whisperer
- whispering noun
- the act or sound of whispers
- whispery adjective
- soft and breathy, like a whisper
- whisperingly adverb
- in a whispering way
Commonly confused: whisper or whistle?
whisper vs whistle
A whistle is a high sound made by blowing through pursed lips or a device; a whisper is quiet speech.
Practice
Which sentence uses whisper in the sense of a rumor?
Choose one answer.
Whispers that the school might close is unconfirmed talk. The other options describe quiet speech or a soft sound, not a rumor.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “whisper”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.