to speak with soft, hushed sounds, using the breath, lips, etc., but with no vibration of the vocal cords.
Phonetics. to produce utterance substituting breath for phonation.
to talk softly and privately (often implying gossip, slander, plotting, or the like): The king knew that the courtiers were whispering.
(of trees, water, breezes, etc.) to make a soft, rustling sound like that of whispering.
verb (used with object)
to utter with soft, low sounds, using the breath, lips, etc.: He whispered endearments to her.
Phonetics. to utter (speech sounds) substituting breath for phonation.
to say or tell in a whisper; tell privately.
to speak to or tell (a person) in a whisper or privately.
noun
the mode of utterance, or the voice, of a person who whispers: to speak in a whisper.
a word or remark uttered by whispering.
a rumor or insinuation: Whispers circulated about the affair.
a soft, rustling sound like a whisper: the whisper of leaves in the wind.
Origin of whisper
before 950; Middle English whisperen (v.), Old English hwisprian; cognate with German wispern; akin to Old Norse hviskra to whisper, hvīsla to whistle. See whine
The whispers have played out alongside long-running discussions about the lack of clear leadership on park issues, duplication of efforts and overhead among various Balboa Park groups and struggles to execute major park initiatives and projects.
Two Balboa Park Groups Are in Talks to Merge|Lisa Halverstadt|October 10, 2020|Voice of San Diego
During the summer, there were whispers among Parisian food circles and on social media of assault allegations involving Sekine.
Chef Behind Parisian New-Wave Hit Dersou Dies|Eileen W. Cho|September 29, 2020|Eater
There are whispers of McDonald’s locations that have breakfast buffets.
Fast-Food Buffets Are a Thing of the Past. Some Doubt They Ever Even Existed.|MM Carrigan|September 29, 2020|Eater
The whisper number, for example, calls for just 670,000 new jobs, about half of what economists expect.
Jittery investors eye today’s big jobs report as markets rebound from an epic sell-off|Bernhard Warner|September 4, 2020|Fortune
Once Greene and Lobb moved it into the symplectic world, the problem gave way with a whisper.
New Geometric Perspective Cracks Old Problem About Rectangles|Kevin Hartnett|June 25, 2020|Quanta Magazine
He speaks in a whisper, flanked by the two locals who set up the meeting.
The Dangerous Drug-Funded Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan|Umar Farooq|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Supporters of the Putin regime were pointed out in a whisper.
From Moscow to Queens, Down Sergei Dovlatov Way|Daniel Genis|September 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Darren was the kind of man who'd lug a sofa bed up three flights of stairs without a whisper of complaint.
Let Us Now Praise Famous Rednecks and Their Unjustly Unsung Kin|Allison Glock|August 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Lilly… Ledbetter…” we whisper to ourselves as we frown at men.
Getting to Know the ‘Beyoncé Voter’|Kelly Williams Brown|July 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A woman came up to whisper about a case of public corruption.
A Woman Blogger’s Scoop Helped Save Tunisia From Islamists|Thomas A. Bass|April 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He could sink it to a whisper and still be audible, while in open-air meetings he could easily make himself heard by thousands.
Successful Methods of Public Speaking|Grenville Kleiser
"A lazy man always hez the most trouble," said Shif'less Sol in a whisper to the others.
The Riflemen of the Ohio|Joseph A. Altsheler
“Here we are,” said Kenneth, in a whisper, as the light now shone down upon them.
Three Boys|George Manville Fenn
The night breeze seemed to whisper this, as they rustled in the ravine below; strange voices muttered it in his ears.
A Country Sweetheart|Dora Russell
The chorus of hidden men by the fire rose in a low murmur that was like the whisper of the desert in the night.
The Garden Of Allah|Robert Hichens
British Dictionary definitions for whisper
whisper
/ (ˈwɪspə) /
verb
to speak or utter (something) in a soft hushed tone, esp without vibration of the vocal cords
(intr)to speak secretly or furtively, as in promoting intrigue, gossip, etc
(intr)(of leaves, trees, etc) to make a low soft rustling sound
(tr)to utter or suggest secretly or privatelyto whisper treason
noun
a low soft voiceto speak in a whisper
something uttered in such a voice
a low soft rustling sound
a trace or suspicion
informala rumour or secret
Word Origin for whisper
Old English hwisprian; related to Old Norse hvīskra, Old High German hwispalōn, Dutch wispern