whisper

Meaning

Noun

1. The act of speaking in a quiet voice, especially without vibration of the vocal cords.
2. (plural-normally) A rumor.
3. (figuratively) A faint trace or hint (of something).
4. A low rustling sound, like that of the wind in leaves.
5. (Internet) A private message to an individual in a chat room.

Verb

1. (intransitive) 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.
2. (transitive) 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.
3. (transitive) To mention privately and confidentially, or in a whisper.
4. (intransitive) To make a low, sibilant sound.
5. (intransitive) To speak with suspicion or timorous caution; to converse in whispers, as in secret plotting.
6. (obsolete, transitive) To address in a whisper, or low voice.
7. (obsolete, transitive) To prompt secretly or cautiously; to inform privately.
8. (Internet) To send a private message to an individual in a chat room.
9. To exercise skill in taming or training a creature.
10. To project using telepathy.

Synonyms

murmur

whispering

mutter

speak softly

rustle

mumble

susurration

babble

low voice

rustling

hum

chatter

undertone

voicelessness

blow softly

speak under one’s breath

breathe

buzz

faint sound

whir

hiss

rumour

sigh

sough

sound

🔉

talk

🗣️

undercurrent

vibrate

whistle

whizz

susurrate

talk to oneself

utter a sound

secret talk

in a whisper

2

mutter to oneself

remurmur

persuade clandestinely

say under one’s breath

bad language

burble

creep

drone

garrulous

gossip

groan

grouch

growl

hint

Translations

chuchoter

flüstern

susurrar

sussurrare

fluisteren

bisbigliare

murmurer

cuchichear

sussurro

chuchotement

xiuxiuejar

susurrer

sussurrar

cochichar

Geflüster

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈ(h)wɪspə/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: whisperen

Inherited from Old English: hwisprian

Cognate with Dutch: wisperen

Cognate with German: wispern

Cognate with Danish: hviske

Cognate with Icelandic: hvískra

Cognate with Norwegian Bokmål: hviske

Cognate with Norwegian Nynorsk: kviskre

Cognate with Swedish: viska

Cognate with English: whistle

In summary

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.