Definition

1. Noun:

   • Speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords: The act of speaking very quietly, using one's breath rather than one's voice, so that only people very close can hear.
   • A light, soft, rustling sound: A low, continuous, indistinct sound, similar to that made by leaves moving in the wind or silk fabric rubbing together.

2. Adjective:

   • Making a low continuous indistinct sound: Characterized by or producing soft, murmuring, or rustling sounds.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • I could hear the whispering from the back of the classroom. (The soft, breathy speech was audible.)
  • The only sound was the gentle whispering of the leaves in the breeze. (The soft rustling sound of the leaves.)

• Adjective:

  • They spoke in whispering voices so as not to wake the baby. (They used very quiet, breathy voices.)
  • We walked through the whispering pines. (We walked through pine trees that made soft, rustling sounds.)

Advanced Usage

• "in a whispering tone": using a voice that is very soft and breathy.
  • She told me the secret in a whispering tone.
• "the whispering gallery": an architectural space, like a dome or curved wall, where sound travels along the surface, allowing a whisper to be heard clearly on the opposite side.
  • St. Paul's Cathedral in London has a famous whispering gallery.

Variants and Related Words

• Whisper (verb/noun): To speak very softly using one's breath; the act or sound of doing so.
  • He had to whisper the message.
• Whisperer (noun): A person who whispers, or someone who has a special ability to communicate with animals (e.g., a horse whisperer).
• Susurrant (adjective, formal): Making a whispering or rustling sound. (A more literary synonym for the adjective form of 'whispering').

Synonyms

• Murmuring: A low, continuous, indistinct sound, often of voices or water.
• Rustling: A soft, muffled crackling sound like that of dry leaves or paper.
• Sighing: A soft, low sound like a long, deep breath, often used for wind.

Related Phrases

• Stage whisper: A loud whisper used by an actor on stage so the audience can hear, but which is supposed to be inaudible to other characters in the play.
  • The villain delivered his plan in a dramatic stage whisper.

Idioms

• "It's the whispering campaign": A coordinated effort to spread malicious rumors or gossip about someone or something in a secretive or indirect way.
  • The politician's reputation was damaged by a vicious whispering campaign.

Adjective

1. making a low continuous indistinct sound
   • like murmuring waves
   • susurrant voices

Noun

1. speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords
2. a light noise, like the noise of silk clothing or leaves blowing in the wind