verb / noun
whisper
WIS-per/ˈwɪspər/
A very quiet sound, especially a softly spoken voice.
The man whispers close to his companion's ear behind a loosely cupped hand.
Etymology
Old English hwisprian already described soft, murmuring speech. Its sound-imitating ancestry connects whispering with the faint hiss of breath rather than a fully voiced utterance.
In context
'I want to whisper to you!' Her voice and manner were so full of feeling that somehow the other was moved. She bent her head, and Pearl taking her neck in her little palms, said:
More examples
- We hear the whisper of leaves overhead.
- She whispers so she won't disturb the other readers.
- Their whispers are barely audible across the room.
Forms
whisper · whispers · whispered · whispering
whisperer noun — A person who speaks in soft tones.