whisper

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whis·per

(wĭs′pər, hwĭs′-)

1. Soft speech produced without using the full voice.

2. Something uttered very softly: overheard his whisper.

3. A secretly or surreptitiously expressed belief, rumor, or hint: whispers of scandal.

4. A low rustling sound: the whisper of wind in the pines.

v. whis·pered, whis·per·ing, whis·pers

v.intr.

1. To speak softly.

2. To speak quietly and privately, as by way of gossip, slander, or intrigue.

3. To make a soft rustling sound.

v.tr.

1. To utter very softly.

2. To say or tell privately or secretly.

[From Middle English whisperen, to whisper, from Old English hwisprian.]

whis′per·er n.

whis′per·y adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

whisper

(ˈwɪspə)

1. to speak or utter (something) in a soft hushed tone, esp without vibration of the vocal cords

2. (intr) to speak secretly or furtively, as in promoting intrigue, gossip, etc

3. (intr) (of leaves, trees, etc) to make a low soft rustling sound

4. (tr) to utter or suggest secretly or privately: to whisper treason.

5. a low soft voice: to speak in a whisper.

6. something uttered in such a voice

7. a low soft rustling sound

8. a trace or suspicion

9. informal a rumour or secret

[Old English hwisprian; related to Old Norse hvīskra, Old High German hwispalōn, Dutch wispern]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

whis•per

(ˈʰwɪs pər, ˈwɪs pər)

v.i.

1. to speak with soft hushed sounds using the breath but with no vibration of the vocal cords.

2. to talk softly and privately, often implying gossip: The town whispered about the rumors.

3. to make a soft rustling sound like that of whispering: The breeze whispers in the leaves.

v.t.

4. to utter with soft low sounds using the breath: She whispered endearments to him.

5. to say in a whisper; tell privately.

6. to speak to or tell (a person) in a whisper or privately.

7. the mode of utterance, or the voice, of one who whispers: to speak in a whisper.

8. a word or remark uttered by whispering.

9. a rumor or insinuation.

10. a soft rustling sound like a whisper.

[before 950; Middle English; Old English hwisprian, c. German wispern; akin to Old Norse hviskra to whisper, hvīsla to whistle]

whis′per•y, adj.

whisper

Past participle: whispered
Gerund: whispering

Imperative
whisper
whisper

Present
I whisper
you whisper
he/she/it whispers
we whisper
you whisper
they whisper

Preterite
I whispered
you whispered
he/she/it whispered
we whispered
you whispered
they whispered

Present Continuous
I am whispering
you are whispering
he/she/it is whispering
we are whispering
you are whispering
they are whispering

Present Perfect
I have whispered
you have whispered
he/she/it has whispered
we have whispered
you have whispered
they have whispered

Past Continuous
I was whispering
you were whispering
he/she/it was whispering
we were whispering
you were whispering
they were whispering

Past Perfect
I had whispered
you had whispered
he/she/it had whispered
we had whispered
you had whispered
they had whispered

Future
I will whisper
you will whisper
he/she/it will whisper
we will whisper
you will whisper
they will whisper

Future Perfect
I will have whispered
you will have whispered
he/she/it will have whispered
we will have whispered
you will have whispered
they will have whispered

Future Continuous
I will be whispering
you will be whispering
he/she/it will be whispering
we will be whispering
you will be whispering
they will be whispering

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been whispering
you have been whispering
he/she/it has been whispering
we have been whispering
you have been whispering
they have been whispering

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been whispering
you will have been whispering
he/she/it will have been whispering
we will have been whispering
you will have been whispering
they will have been whispering

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been whispering
you had been whispering
he/she/it had been whispering
we had been whispering
you had been whispering
they had been whispering

Conditional
I would whisper
you would whisper
he/she/it would whisper
we would whisper
you would whisper
they would whisper

Past Conditional
I would have whispered
you would have whispered
he/she/it would have whispered
we would have whispered
you would have whispered
they would have whispered

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	whisper - speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords susurration, voicelessness, whispering speaking, speech production - the utterance of intelligible speech stage whisper - a loud whisper that can be overheard; on the stage it is heard by the audience but it supposed to be inaudible to the rest of the cast
	2.	whisper - a light noise, like the noise of silk clothing or leaves blowing in the wind rustle, whispering, rustling noise - sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound); "he enjoyed the street noises"; "they heard indistinct noises of people talking"; "during the firework display that ended the gala the noise reached 98 decibels"
Verb	1.	whisper - speak softly; in a low voice mouth, speak, talk, verbalise, verbalize, utter - express in speech; "She talks a lot of nonsense"; "This depressed patient does not verbalize" shout - utter in a loud voice; talk in a loud voice (usually denoting characteristic manner of speaking); "My grandmother is hard of hearing--you'll have to shout"

whisper

verb

1. murmur, breathe, mutter, mumble, purr, speak in hushed tones, say softly, say sotto voce, utter under the breath `Keep your voice down,' I whispered.
murmur shout, roar, yell, thunder, bellow, clamour, bawl

2. gossip, hint, intimate, murmur, insinuate, spread rumours People started whispering that the pair were having an affair.

3. rustle, sigh, moan, murmur, hiss, swish, sough, susurrate (literary) The leaves whispered and rustled in the breeze.

noun

1. murmur, mutter, mumble, undertone, low voice, soft voice, hushed tone Men were talking in whispers in the corridor.

2. (Informal) rumour, report, word, story, hint, buzz, gossip, dirt (U.S. slang), innuendo, insinuation, scuttlebutt (U.S. slang) I've heard a whisper that he is planning to resign.

3. rustle, sigh, sighing, murmur, hiss, swish, soughing, susurration or susurrus (literary) the slight whisper of the wind in the grass

4. hint, shadow, suggestion, trace, breath, suspicion, fraction, tinge, whiff There is a whisper of conspiracy about the whole affair.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

whisper

noun

1. A low, indistinct, and often continuous sound:

mumble, murmur, sigh, sough, susurration, susurrus.

2. A slight amount or indication:

breath, dash, ghost, hair, hint, intimation, semblance, shade, shadow, soupçon, streak, suggestion, suspicion, taste, tinge, touch, trace, whiff.

Informal: whisker.

verb

1. To speak or utter indistinctly, as by lowering the voice or partially closing the mouth:

mumble, murmur, mutter.

2. To engage in or spread gossip:

blab, gossip, noise, rumor, talk, tattle, tittle-tattle.

Idioms: tell tales, tell tales out of school.

3. To tell in confidence:

breathe, confide.

4. To make a low, continuous, and indistinct sound:

murmur, sigh, sough.

Translations

تُسْمِعُ الأوراقُ حَفيفاهمسهَمْسيَهْمِسيَهْمِسُ

xiuxiuejar

šeptat

hviskehviskenhvisle

Flüstern raunen wispern zischeln

ψιθυρίζω ψιθύρισμα ψιθυρισμός ψίθυρος ψυθιρίζω

susurrar susurro murmurar cuchichear hablar en voz baja

kuiskata

chuchoter susurrer murmure murmurer chuchotement

šapat

suttogsuttogássusog

hvíslhvíslaskrjáfa

sussurrare sussurro bisbiglio diceria stormire

ささやく

속삭이다

šnabždesysšnabždėtišnibždėjimasšnibždesyskuždesys

čabētčukstēšanačukstētčuksts

fluisteren gefluister

hviske hviskende lyd hvisking tiske

szepnąć

sussurrar sussurro murmurar murmúrio

şoaptăşoptisusura

шёпот шептать шушукаться шепнуть

šepkaťšepot

šepetšepetati

šapat

viska

กระซิบ

fısıldamak fısıltıhışırdamakhışırtı

nói thầm

耳语低语发出轻柔的飒飒风声极小声私语

whisper

[ˈwɪspəʳ]

A. N

1. (lit) (= low tone) → cuchicheo m, susurro m; [of leaves] → susurro m
to speak in a whisper → hablar en voz baja, susurrar
to say sth in a whisper → decir algo en voz baja, susurrar algo
her voice was scarcely more than a whisper → su voz no era más que un susurro

2. (= rumour) → rumor m, voz f
there is a whisper that → corre el rumor or la voz de que ..., se rumorea que ...
at the least whisper of scandal → al menor indicio del escándalo

B. VT

1. (lit) → decir en voz baja, susurrar
to whisper sth to sb → decir algo al oído de algn, susurrar algo a algn

2. (fig) it is whispered that → corre la voz de que ..., se rumorea que ...

C. VI (= talk) → cuchichear, susurrar, hablar muy bajo; [leaves] → susurrar
to whisper to sb → cuchichear a algn
it's rude to whisper in company → es de mala educación cuchichear en compañía, secretos en reunión es falta de educación
stop whispering! → ¡silencio!

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

whisper

[ˈ^hwɪspə^r]

[people] → chuchotement m
to speak in whispers → chuchoter
in a whisper → dans un murmure

[leaves] → bruissement m

vt → murmurer
She whispered his name → Elle murmura son nom.
to whisper sth to sb → murmurer qch à qn

vi → chuchoter
Why are you whispering? → Pourquoi chuchotes-tu?

whisper

(= low tone) → Geflüster nt no pl, → Flüstern nt no pl; (of wind, leaves) → Wispern nt no pl; (mysterious) → Raunen nt no pl; to speak in a whisper → im Flüsterton sprechen; to say something in a whisper → etw im Flüsterton sagen; they were talking in whispers → sie sprachen flüsternd or im Flüsterton

(= rumour) → Gerücht nt; there are whispers (going round) that … → es geht das Gerücht or es gehen Gerüchte um, dass …; have you heard any whispers about who might be promoted? → haben Sie irgendwelche Andeutungen gehört or haben Sie etwas läuten hören (inf), → wer befördert werden soll?

(= say quietly) → flüstern, wispern; to whisper something to somebody → jdm etw zuflüstern or zuwispern; (secretively) → jdm etw zuraunen; to whisper a word in(to) somebody’s ear (fig) → jdm einen leisen Tipp geben, jdm etw andeuten

(= rumour) it’s (being) whispered that … → es geht das Gerücht or es gehen Gerüchte um, dass …, man munkelt or es wird gemunkelt, dass …

vi → flüstern, wispern (also fig); (secretively) → raunen; (schoolchildren) → tuscheln; (poet: wind) → säuseln; to whisper to somebody → jdm zuflüstern/zuwispern/zuraunen, mit jdm tuscheln; just whisper to me → sags mir flüsternd; stop whispering! → hör/hört auf zu flüstern!; (schoolchildren) → hört auf zu tuscheln, lasst das Getuschel!

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

whisper

[ˈwɪspəʳ]

1. n

a. (gen) → sussurro, bisbiglio; (of leaves) → fruscio, stormire m
to speak in a whisper → bisbigliare

b. (rumour) → voce f

2. vt → bisbigliare, sussurrare
to whisper sth to sb → bisbigliare qc a qn

3. vi (gen) → bisbigliare; (leaves) → frusciare, stormire
to whisper to sb → bisbigliare a qn

whisper

(ˈwispə) verb

1. to speak or say very softly. You'll have to whisper or he'll hear you; `Don't tell him,' she whispered.

2. (of trees etc) to make a soft sound in the wind. The leaves whispered in the breeze.

noun

a very quiet sound, especially something said. They spoke in whispers.

ˈwhisperer noun

whisper

→ يَهْمِسُ šeptat hviske flüstern ψυθιρίζω susurrar kuiskata chuchoter šapat sussurrare ささやく 속삭이다 fluisteren hviske szepnąć sussurrar шептать viska กระซิบ fısıldamak nói thầm 耳语

whis·per

n. susurro, cuchicheo;

v. susurrar, cuchichear.

whisper

vt susurrar, decir en voz baja; I'm going to whisper a word to see if you can hear me..Voy a susurrar una palabra para ver si me puede esuchar; vi susurrar, hablar en voz baja

References in classic literature ?

Please, Becky -- I'll whisper it, I'll whisper it ever so easy."

View in context

'I'll whisper it,' said the Messenger, putting his hands to his mouth in the shape of a trumpet, and stooping so as to get close to the King's ear.

View in context

Crackit spoke in a scarcely audible whisper, and laughed without noise, Sikes imperiously commanded him to be silent, and to get to work.

View in context

But the circumstance about him which impressed me most, was, that he had no voice, but spoke in a whisper. The exertion this cost him, or the consciousness of talking in that feeble way, made his angry face so much more angry, and his thick veins so much thicker, when he spoke, that I am not surprised, on looking back, at this peculiarity striking me as his chief one.

View in context

She continued to look fixedly at the red embers; and from her lips that hardly moved came the quietest possible whisper: "Nothing would be easier than to die for you."

View in context

Now, to me the elm-leaves whisper Mad, discordant melodies, And keen melodies like shadows Haunt the moaning willow trees, And the sycamores with laughter Mock me in the nightly breeze.

View in context

"Where is the white girl?" asked one of the men in a low whisper. "Muda Saffir has sent us for her.

View in context

And the proof of it was his earnest whisper, "The man told you he hardly dared to give the order."

View in context

"Catch hold of my arm or you'll drop him!" he heard one of the servants say in a frightened whisper. "Catch hold from underneath.

View in context

He said, in a hoarse whisper, "Write me down the name of the church--there." He held out his open pocketbook to Amelia while he spoke.

View in context

"I declare, it is the pirates' rum-room!" said Jip in a whisper.

View in context

"When are you coming to bed?" he always replied, very brave but in a whisper, as if he feared the bears and wolves might have him.