Meaning & use
whispered
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“whispered” is a form of “whisper”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
Spoke very quietly, using breath rather than full voice, especially so only one person could hear.
Grammar: Can be used without an object ('She whispered') or with one ('She whispered a name').
Patterns
- whisper something
- whisper to someone
- whisper something to someone
He whispered the answer so the teacher wouldn't hear.
She leaned over and whispered to me during the film.
They whispered together at the back of the room.
verbtransitive
Said something in a soft, secretive way, often because it was private or not meant to be shared.
Grammar: Often followed by a clause with 'that': 'He whispered that he was leaving.'
Patterns
- whisper that …
- whisper something in someone's ear
She whispered that she had good news.
He whispered a warning in my ear.
The child whispered that he was scared of the dark.
adjectivebefore a noun
Spoken in a very quiet voice, or making a soft sound like a whisper.
Grammar: Used before a noun: 'a whispered word', 'whispered voices'.
Patterns
- a whispered conversation
- a whispered word
- whispered voices
There was a whispered conversation in the corner.
The room was full of whispered voices.
She gave a whispered reply.
Word forms
| base form | whisper |
|---|---|
| third person singular | whispers |
| past tense | whispered |
| past participle | whispered |
| -ing form | whispering |
Common combinations
- whisper in someone's ear
- She whispered something in his ear and he laughed.
- whisper softly
- He whispered softly so as not to wake the baby.
- whisper something to someone
- I whispered the news to Maria.
- a whispered conversation
- They had a whispered conversation behind the door.
Synonyms and how they differ
- murmur
- To murmur is to speak quietly but with normal voice, often continuously; it is less secretive than whisper.
- mutter
- To mutter is to speak quietly and unclearly, often when complaining, and it does not suggest secrecy.
- breathe
- In literary use, 'breathe' can mean to say something very softly, almost without voice.
Opposites
Word family
- whisper noun
- A very quiet way of speaking, or a soft sound.
- whispering noun
- The act or sound of speaking very quietly.
- whispery adjective
- Soft and quiet, like a whisper.
Commonly confused: whispered or whisper?
whispered vs whisper
'Whispered' is the past form or adjective; 'whisper' is the base verb or the noun.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'whispered' correctly.
Choose one answer.
'Whisper' can be followed by 'to someone': 'She whispered to me.' Without 'to', 'whispered me' is not standard. 'Whispered at me' suggests anger, and 'whispered on me' is not used.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “whispered”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.