whisper
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈ(h)wɪspə/
ipa: /ˈ(h)wɪspɚ/
rhymes: -ɪspə(ɹ)
Forms: form: whispers
form: whispering
form: whispered
form: whispered
Etymology: From Middle English whisperen, from Old English hwisprian (“to mutter, murmur, whisper”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwisprōn, from Proto-Germanic *hwisprōną (“to hiss, whistle, whisper”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱweys-, *ḱwey- (“to hiss, whistle, whisper”).
Cognate with Dutch wisperen (“to whisper”), German wispern (“to mumble, whisper”). Related also to Danish hviske (“to whisper”), Icelandic hvískra (“to whisper”), Norwegian Bokmål hviske, kviskre (“to whisper”), Norwegian Nynorsk kviskre, kviskra (“to whisper”), Swedish viska (“to whisper”). More at English whistle.
Senses: examples: text: I can hear them whisper as we pass by
It's a bad sign, bad sign
ref: 2014 October 27, Taylor Swift, Ryan Tedder, “I Know Places (Taylor's Version)”, in 1989 (Taylor's Version), performed by Taylor Swift, published 27 October 2023:
synonyms: breathe
glosses: To speak softly or under one's breath, so as to be heard only by one near at hand; to utter words without sonant breath; to talk without that vibration of the vocal cords which gives sonorous, or vocal, sound.
examples: text: Whether he whispered sweet nothings to her in Stengelese is not known, but he did call her "the best catch I ever made in my career."
ref: 1981 April 15, Ira Berkow, “DRAMA IN 'STENGELESE: YOU CAN LOOK IT UP”, in The New York Times:
synonyms: breathe
glosses: To say (something) softly or under one's breath, so as to be heard only by one near at hand; to utter (something) without sonant breath, without that vibration of the vocal cords which gives sonorous, or vocal, sound.
examples: text: They might buzz and whisper it one to another.
ref: 1692, Richard Bentley, [A Confutation of Atheism] (please specify the sermon), London: [Thomas Parkhurst; Henry Mortlock], published 1692–1693:
glosses: To mention privately and confidentially, or in a whisper.
examples: text: the hollow, whispering breeze
ref: a. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Spring”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, →OCLC:
text: […] hear thy laurel whisper sweet
About the ledges of the hill.
ref: 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XXXVII”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 57:
glosses: To make a low, sibilant sound.
examples: text: All that hate me whisper together against me.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 41:7:
glosses: To speak with suspicion or timorous caution; to converse in whispers, as in secret plotting.
examples: text: and whisper one another in the ear
ref: c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:
text: where gentlest breezes whisper souls distressed
ref: 1827, [John Keble], The Christian Year: Thoughts in Verse for the Sundays and Holydays throughout the Year, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] [B]y W. Baxter, for J. Parker; and C[harles] and J[ohn] Rivington, […], →OCLC:
glosses: To address in a whisper, or low voice.
examples: text: He came to whisper Wolsey.
ref: 1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
text: [A] simple youth whispered me that he was an Illuminé, and carried on an intercourse with the invisible world.
ref: 1816, [Walter Scott], chapter XIII, in The Antiquary. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC, page 289:
glosses: To prompt secretly or cautiously; to inform privately.
glosses: To send a private message to an individual in a chat room.
glosses: To exercise skill in taming or training a creature.
glosses: To project using telepathy.
Derived terms: whisper down the lane
whisperer