Adjacent Words

Whisper definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

WHISPER, v.i. [L. The word seems by its sound to be an onomatopy, as it expresses a sibilant sound or breathing.]
1. To speak with a low hissing or sibilant voice. It is ill manners to whisper in company.
The hollow whispring breeze--
2. To speak with suspicion or timorous caution.
3. To plot secretly; to devise in mischief.
All that hate me whisper together against me. Psalms 41.
WHISPER, v.t.
1. To address in a low voice. He whispers the man in the ear. [But this is elliptical for whispers to.]
2. To utter in a low sibilant voice. He whispered a word in my ear.
3. To prompt secretly; as, the came to whisper Woolsey.
WHISPER, n.
1. A low soft sibilant voice; or words uttered with such a voice.
The whisper cannot give a tone.
Soft whispers through the assembly went.
2. A cautious or timorous speech.
3. A hissing or buzzing sound.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords [syn: whisper, whispering, susurration, voicelessness]
2: a light noise, like the noise of silk clothing or leaves blowing in the wind [syn: rustle, rustling, whisper, whispering] v
1: speak softly; in a low voice [ant: shout]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (whispered; whispering) Etymology: Middle English, from Old English hwisperian; akin to Old High German hwispal?n to whisper, Old Norse hv?sla — more at whistle Date: before 12th century intransitive verb 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 transitive verb 1. to address in a whisper 2. to utter or communicate in or as if in a whisper II. noun Date: 1595 1. something communicated by or as if by whispering; especially rumor <whispers of scandal> 2. a. an act or instance of whispering; especially speech without vibration of the vocal cords b. a sibilant sound that resembles whispered speech 3. hint, trace

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v. 1 a intr. speak very softly without vibration of the vocal cords. b intr. & tr. talk or say in a barely audible tone or in a secret or confidential way. 2 intr. speak privately or conspiratorially. 3 intr. (of leaves, wind, or water) rustle or murmur. --n. 1 whispering speech (talking in whispers). 2 a whispering sound. 3 a thing whispered. 4 a rumour or piece of gossip. Phrases and idioms: it is whispered there is a rumour. whispering-gallery a gallery esp. under a dome with acoustic properties such that a whisper may be heard round its entire circumference. Derivatives: whisperer n. whispering n. Etymology: OE hwisprian f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Whisper Whis"per, v. t. 1. To utter in a low and nonvocal tone; to say under the breath; hence, to mention privately and confidentially, or in a whisper. They might buzz and whisper it one to another. --Bentley. 2. To address in a whisper, or low voice. [Archaic] And whisper one another in the ear. --Shak. Where gentlest breezes whisper souls distressed. --Keble. 3. To prompt secretly or cautiously; to inform privately. [Obs.] ``He came to whisper Wolsey.'' --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Whisper Whis"per, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Whispered; p. pr. & vb. n. Whispering.] [AS. hwisprian; akin to G. wispern, wispeln, OHG. hwispal?n, Icel. hv[=i]skra, Sw. hviska, Dan. hviske; of imitative origin. Cf. Whistle.] 1. To speak softly, or under the breath, so as to be heard only by one near at hand; to utter words without sonant breath; to talk without that vibration in the larynx which gives sonorous, or vocal, sound. See Whisper, n. 2. To make a low, sibilant sound or noise. The hollow, whispering breeze. --Thomson. 3. To speak with suspicion, or timorous caution; to converse in whispers, as in secret plotting. All that hate me whisper together against me. --Ps. xli. 7.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Whisper Whis"per, n. 1. A low, soft, sibilant voice or utterance, which can be heard only by those near at hand; voice or utterance that employs only breath sound without tone, friction against the edges of the vocal cords and arytenoid cartilages taking the place of the vibration of the cords that produces tone; sometimes, in a limited sense, the sound produced by such friction as distinguished from breath sound made by friction against parts of the mouth. See Voice, n., 2, and Guide to Pronunciation, [sect][sect] 5, 153, 154. The inward voice or whisper can not give a tone. --Bacon. Soft whispers through the assembly went. --Dryden. 2. A cautious or timorous speech. --South. 3. Something communicated in secret or by whispering; a suggestion or insinuation. 4. A low, sibilant sound. ``The whispers of the leaves.'' --Tennyson.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(whispers, whispering, whispered) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. When you whisper, you say something very quietly, using your breath rather than your throat, so that only one person can hear you. 'Keep your voice down,' I whispered... She sat on Rossi's knee as he whispered in her ear... He whispered the message to David... Somebody whispered that films like that were illegal... She whispered his name. VERB: V with quote, V prep, V n prep, V that, V n • Whisper is also a noun. Men were talking in whispers in every office. N-COUNT 2. If people whisper about a piece of information, they talk about it, although it might not be true or accurate, or might be a secret. Today, we no longer gasp when we hear a teenage girl is pregnant or whisper about unmarried couples who live together... It is whispered that he intended to resign... But don't whisper a word of that. VERB: V about wh/n, it be V-ed that, V n • Whisper is also a noun. I've heard a whisper that the Bishop intends to leave. = rumour N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. n. Speak under the breath, speak softly. II. v. a. Breath, utter softly. III. n. 1. Whispering, susurrus. 2. Low, soft voice, gentle utterance. 3. Murmur, sibilant sound (as of the wind). 4. Hint, intimation, inkling.

Moby Thesaurus

advice, alert, alerting, articulate, aspirate, aspiration, bark, bated breath, bawl, bellow, blare, blat, blubber, boom, bray, breath, breathe, breathy voice, broad hint, bruit, brush, buzz, cackle, canard, caress, caution, chant, chime, chirp, chorus, clue, come out with, common talk, communicate, confide, confide to, contact, convey, coo, crow, cry, cue, cutaneous sense, dash, deliver, disclose, drawl, drone, droning, emit, entrust with information, enunciate, exclaim, exhalation, express, feel, feeling, fingertip caress, fizz, fizzle, flick, fling off, flute, flying rumor, formulate, gabble, gasp, gentle hint, gesture, gibber, gibbering, give, give confidential information, give expression, give out with, give tongue, give utterance, give voice, glance, glimmer, glimmering, grapevine, graze, groan, growl, grunt, hand-mindedness, hearsay, hint, hiss, howl, idea afloat, impart, implication, index, indication, inkling, innuendo, insinuation, intimation, jabber, jibber, keen, kick, kiss, lambency, lap, latrine rumor, let in on, let next to, let out, lick, light touch, lilt, lip, little voice, look, low voice, maffle, maunder, maundering, mention privately, moan, monition, mouth, mouthing, mumble, mumbling, murmur, murmuration, murmuring, mussitate, mutter, muttering, news stirring, nod, nudge, office, on-dit, out with, pant, passing word, phonate, phrase, pipe, pointer, pour forth, present, prompt, pronounce, put forth, put hep, put in words, put next to, raise, report, roar, roorback, rub, rumble, rumor, say, scent, scream, screech, scuttlebutt, sense of touch, set forth, shade, shriek, sibilate, sigh, sign, signal, sing, sizzle, snap, snarl, snort, sob, soft voice, sough, sound, soupcon, speak incoherently, splutter, spoor, sputter, squall, squawk, squeal, stage whisper, steer, still small voice, stroke, suggestion, suspicion, susurrate, susurration, susurrus, swish, symptom, tactile sense, taction, take aside, talk, tap, tell, tell confidentially, telltale, tentative poke, throw off, thunder, tinge, tip, tip off, tip-off, touch, town talk, trace, track, trumpet, twang, unconfirmed report, underbreath, undertone, utter, verbalize, vocalize, voice, wail, warble, warning, wheeze, whiff, whine, whispering, whistle, whiz, whoosh, wink, word, yap, yawp, yell, yelp