Whisper

Definition: Whisper

Whisper

Noun

1. Speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords.

2. The light noise like the noise of silk clothing or leaves blowing in the wind.

Verb

1. Speak softly; in a low voice.

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "whisper" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references)

Note: Whisper \Whis"per\, intransitive verb [imperfect & past participle. Whispered; Whispering.]. (references)

WHISPER

Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

Synonyms: Whisper

Aphony

Verb: keep silence; speak low, speak softly; whisper; (faintness).

Concealment

Januis clausis, with closed doors, a huis clos; hugger mugger, a la derobee; under the cloak of, under the rose, under the table; sub rosa, en tapinois, in the background, aside, on the sly, with bated breath, sotto voce, in a whisper, without beat of drum, a la sourdine.

Cover, screen, cloak, veil, shroud; cover up one's tracks; screen from sight, screen from observation; drawing the veil; draw the curtain, close the curtain; curtain, shade, eclipse, throw a view over; be cloud, be mask; mask, disguise; ensconce, muffle, smother; befog; whisper.

Disclosure

Divulge, reveal, break; squeal, tattle, sing, rat, snitch; let into the secret; reveal the secrets of the prison house; tell; (inform); breathe, utter, blab, peach; let out, let fall, let drop, let slip, spill the beans, let the cat out of the bag; betray; tell tales, come out of school; come out with; give vent, give utterance to; open the lips, blurt out, vent, whisper about; speak out; (make manifest); make public; unriddle; (find out) a; split.

Information

Hint; given an inkling of; give a hint, drop a hint, throw out a hint; insinuate; allude to, make allusion to; glance at; tip the wink; (indicate); suggest, prompt, give the cue, breathe; whisper, whisper in the ear.

Hint, suggestion, innuendo, inkling, whisper, passing word, word in the ear, subaudition, cue, byplay; gesture; (indication); gentle hint, broad hint; verbum sapienti; insinuation; (latency).

Latency Implication

Involve, imply, understand, allude to, infer, leave an inference; entail; whisper; (conceal).

Publication

Verb: publish; make public, make known; (information); speak of, talk of; broach, utter; put forward; circulate, propagate, promulgate; spread, spread abroad; rumor, diffuse, disseminate, evulugate; put forth, give forth, send forth; emit, edit, get out; issue; bring before the public, lay before the public, drag before the public; give out, give to the world; put about, bandy about, hawk about, buzz about, whisper about, bruit about, blaze about; drag into the open day; voice.

Stammering

Noun: inarticulateness; stammering; Verb: hesitation; Verb: impediment in one's speech; traulism; whisper; (faint sound); lisp, drawl, tardiloquence; nasal tone, nasal accent; twang; falsetto; (want of voice); broken voice, broken accents, broken sentences.

Mumble, mutter; maud, mauder; whisper; mince, lisp; jabber, gibber; sputter, splutter; muffle, mump; drawl, mouth; croak; speak thick, speak through the nose; snuffle, clip one's words; murder the language, murder the King's English, murder the Queen's English; mispronounce, missay.

Voice

Vocalization; cry; strain, utterance, prolation; exclamation, ejaculation, vociferation, ecphonesis; enunciation, articulation; articulate sound, distinctness; clearness, of articulation; stage whisper; delivery.

Verb: utter, breathe; give utterance, give tongue; cry; (shout); ejaculate, rap out; vocalize, prolate, articulate, enunciate, pronounce, accentuate, aspirate, deliver, mouth; whisper in the ear.

Crosswords: Whisper

I can't hear you if you're going to whisper! (Jaws 2; writing credit: Carl Gottlieb; Howard Sackler)

You could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper and it would vanish, it was so fragile (Gladiator; writing credit: David Franzoni)

So what difference does it make, whether it's 20 minutes or 20 years, since neither amounts to the faintest echo of the tiniest whisper in the thunder of time (The Outer Limits; writing credit: Harlan Ellison)

What did Columbo whisper to you at the restaurant (For Your Eyes Only; writing credit: Richard Maibaum)

The careless whisper of a good friend (Careless Whisper; performing artist: Wham!)

I know just how to whisper, (Making Love Out Of Nothing At All; performing artist: Air Supply)

Whisper words of desire (Do I Have To Say The Words?; performing artist: Bryan Adams)

And if you whisper like that (It's all coming back to me now; performing artist: Celine Dion)

Like a whisper in a dream, (The Earth, The Sun, The Rain; performing artist: Color Me Badd)

It is not what they say about you; it's what they whisper. (references; author: unknown)

You can't train a horse with shouts and expect it to obey a whisper. (references; author: unknown)

Let Me Hear You Whisper (1969)

The Everlasting Whisper (1925)

Whisper in My Ear (1994)

It Starts with a Whisper (1993)

A Whisper to a Scream (1989)

Careless Whisper (performing artist: Wham!)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• A Whisper and a Wish (The Christy Miller Series No. 2) (reference)

• A Whisper of Roses (reference)

• The Whisper of Glocken: A Novel of the Minnipins (reference)

• The Whisper of the River (reference)

• Whisper (Blaze, 47) (reference)

  (more book examples)

Theater & Movies

• Whisper Kill (reference)

• Whisper Kill/Ed Mcbain's 87th (reference)

• Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 32: Loud As A Whisper (reference)

  (more DVD examples; more video examples)

Music

• Il Sibilo (The Whisper) (reference)

• Whisper Of Love (reference)

• Mystery of the Whisper (reference)

• Whisper (reference)

• Whisper From the Mirror (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Bart's last whisper to Lucy was in explanation of the little wife's manner. Credit: Library of Congress.

U.S.S.S. [sic] Texas and the Whisper. Credit: Library of Congress.

U.S.S. Texas and the Whisper. Credit: Library of Congress.

The angel's whisper. Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

These last words were in a whisper, as she evidently did not wish Arthur to hear

What he really did whisper, the minister could never afterwards recollect

All at once she began to sing in a voice as feeble as a whisper.

The whisper ceased and he knew then clearly that his own soul had sinned in thought and word and deed wilfully through his own body

Tom could hear the whisper of water against the grasses in the irrigation ditch

This man seemed to me to lean over the cornice, and timidly whisper his half truth to the rude occupants who really knew it better than he.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

Many people with otosclerosis first notice that they cannot hear low-pitched sounds or that they can no longer hear a whisper. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

To whisper

Expressions using "whisper": in a whisper ♦ speak in a whisper ♦ stage whisper ♦ talk in a whisper ♦ whisper about ♦ whisper in smb.'s ear ♦ whisper in the ear ♦ whisper sweet nothings ♦ whisper to one another ♦ Whisper Walk. Additional references.

Beginning with "whisper": whisper-quiet.

Ending with "whisper": half-whisper, stage-whisper.

Albanian

thashetheme (backbite, badinage, chitchat, gossip, grape vine, gup, hearsay, idle gossip, noise, old wives' tales, report, rumor, rumour, scuttlebutt, tale, tittle tattle, tootle), pëshpëritje (breath, mutter, muttering, susurration, whispering), pëshpërit (breathe, sigh), fëshfërimë (froufrou, lisp, murmur), fëshfërij (murmur, rustle, sough). (various references)

Arabic 

‏همسة (breeze, hiss, sizzle), ‏همس (breathe, buzz, hiss, murmur, speak, susurration, whispering), ‏نطق بهمس, ‏خاطب هامسا, ‏أثر ضئيل (sparkle, tincture, twang). (various references)

Basque

xuxurlatu (murmur to, whisper to). (various references)

Bulgarian 

слух (audition, breeze, bruit, buzz, hearing, hearsay, noise, report, reportage, rumor, rumour, scuttlebutt, speech, story, whispering, wind), ромолене (murmur), тайна (arcanum, confidence, dogbane, mystery, privacy, secrecy, secret), шушукане, шушукам, шушнене, шушна, шумоля (babble, rustle, swish), шумолене (babble, lisp, murmur, rustle, swish), шепот (burble, buzz, murmur, susurration), шепна (breathe, buzz, murmur), пошушвам, пошепвам, поверявам (bequeath, commend, commit, confide, consign, disembosom, entrust, intrust, recommend, unbosom), подшушвам (give smb. a tip-off, hint, tip). (various references)

Chinese 

耳語 , 耳语 (Whispered, Whispering), 聶 , 呤 (purine in chem. compound). (various references)

Czech

mluvit šeptem, šumìt (bubble, effervesce, fizz, swash), šuškat si, šeptat, šepotání, šepot, šelestit (rustle, whir, whirr). (various references)

Danish

hviske. (various references)

Dutch

gefluister (murmur), fluistering. (various references)

Esperanto

flustri, flustrado. (various references)

Faeroese

teska (rustle, swish). (various references)

Farsi 

پچ پچ کردن (Chatter), نجواکردن , نجوا, بیخ گوشی . (various references)

Finnish

kuiskata (prompt). (various references)

French

chuchoter (speak in a whisper). (various references)

German

flüstern (breathe, mutter, to speak under breath, whispering), Geflüster (rustling, whispering). (various references)

Greek 

ψιθυρίζω (murmur, mutter, rustle). (various references)

Hebrew 

ללחוש (hiss), לאיטה (murmur), לחשוש (apprehend, be afraid, be anxious, fear), לחש (hiss, murmur), להתלחש (exchange whispers), להרחיש (express), לרחוש (express, feel), אושה (bruit, fizz, fizzle, hiss, murmur, rustle, sound), דבוב (antagonistic, dubbing, hated, hostile, interviewing, talk), דבדוב (murmur), רחש (commotion, feeling, rustle, stir). (various references)

Hungarian

suttogás (rustle, susurrus, undertone, whispering), súgás-búgás (whispering). (various references)

Icelandic

hvísla. (various references)

Indonesian

membisikkan, bisikan (murmur, whispering), bisik (say in whisper), berbisikan, berbisik (murmur, speak confidentally). (various references)

Italian

sussurrare (murmur, sough, whisper to), bisbigliare. (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

低声 (low voice), 小声 (low voice), 囁き (murmur). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

ささやき (murmur), こごえ (low voice), ていせい (correction, imperial government, imperialism, low voice, monarchical rule, music of the state of Zheng, qualitative, revision, stability of a substance). (various references)

Korean 

속삭임 (Whispering). (various references)

Malay

bisik ... berbisik-bisik. (various references)

Manx

thaish, sonsheraght (speak under breath, susurrate, whispering), sonnish (inkling, susurrate), sansheraght (annunciate, speak under breath, whispering), sannish (allusion, hint, suggestion), pisheyragh. (various references)

Maya

sawal-thaan (to whisper). (various references)

Norwegian

hviske. (various references)

Occitan

marmusar (murmur). (various references)

Papiamen

kuchikuchi. (various references)

Pig Latin

isperwhay.(various references)

Portuguese

sussurro (buzz, croon, embroidery, hum, murmur, purl, ripple, rustle, sough, susurration, swish, whirr, whispering), segredar (confide, mutter, secrete). (various references)

Romanian

susur (babble, brawl, chatter, gurgle, murmur, prattle, ripple, warble), sufla (blow, blow one's nose, breathe, gasp, prompt, puff, whiff), rãspândi pe ascuns un zvon, murmura (babble, Bicker, brawl, breathe, chatter, croak, growl, grumble, gurgle, kick, moan, mumble, murmur, mutter, Pearl, prattle, purl, ripple, round, rustle, sough, warble), murmur de izvor, foşnet de frunze, şuşui, şuşoti, şoptit (low, whispered, whispering), şopti (breathe, gurgle, murmur, round), şoptealã, şopoti, şopãi, şoaptã (gurgle). (various references)

Russian 

слух (audition, ear, hearing, hearsay, noise, report, rumor, rumour, scuttlebutt, talk), шорох (murmur), шептать шепот, шепот (susurration, whispering), говорить шепотом, прошептать. (various references)

Scottish

sanas (hint, warning). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

reći šapatom, prošaptati, šaputati, šapnuti, šapat. (various references)

Spanish

cuchichear (buzz), cuchicheo (buzz, whispering). (various references)

Sranan

safri taki. (various references)

Swedish

viska. (various references)

Turkish

söylenti (account, fame, grapevine, hearsay, report, rumor, rumour, scuttlebutt, story, talk), kulağına söylemek, ima (adumbration, allusion, finger post, glance at, hint, implicitness, innuendo, insinuation, intimation, mention, office, pointer, reference, smell, suggestion, whiff), hışırtı (crackling, crunch, frou-frou, rustle, rustling, sough, swish), hışırdamak (Crinkle, crunch, rustle, sizzle, sough, swish), fısıltı (breath, mutter, susurration, undertone, whispering), fısıldamak (breathe, buzz, mutter), dedikodu yapmak (bear tales, carry tales, gossip, talk scandal, tattle, tell tales, tittle tattle, tittletattle, wag one's tongue). (various references)

Turkmen 

wyюy-wyюy, wyюyrdamak (gossip), pyюyrdy, pyюyrdamak. (various references)

Ukrainian

чутка (bruit, hearsay, noise, rumor, rumour, scuttlebutt, sough, wind, word), шушукатися, шерех (sough), шелестіти (rustle), шелест (lisp, rustle, susurration), шепіт (breath, lisp, susurration, whispering), шепотіти (murmur), натяк (allusion, cue, hint, intimation, office, shadow, smell, suggestion, suspicion, telltale, tip), нашіптувати (whistle), поголос (noise). (various references)

Vietnamese 

tiếng nói thầm (whispering), tiếng đồn kín. (various references)

Welsh

sisial, sibrwd (murmur). (various references)

murmur, murmuris, musitantes, susurrabant, susurrationes, susurri, susurrio, susurro. (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Derivations

Words beginning with "whisper": whispered, whisperer, whisperers, whispering, whisperingly, whisperings, whispers, whispery. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Whisper" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Whimster, whispen, whister, whizer, wisper. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

-1 letter: perish, reship, wipers, wisher.

-2 letters: heirs, hires, peris, piers, pries, prise, ripes, shier, shire, shrew, speir, spier, spire, swipe, weirs, whips, whirs, wiper, wipes, wires, wiser, wries.

-3 letters: heir, hers, hews, hies, hips, hire, ires, pehs, peri, pews, phew, phis, pier, pies, pish, reis, reps, resh, ripe, rips, rise, shew, ship, shri, sipe.

+1 letter: whimpers, whippers, whispers, whispery.

+2 letters: horsewhip, ownership, shipowner, shipwreck, whispered, whisperer, worshiped, worshiper.

+3 letters: horsewhips, ownerships, preshowing, prewashing, shipowners, shipwrecks, viewership, wardenship, whisperers, whispering, wirephotos, worshipers, worshipped, worshipper.

+4 letters: shipwrecked, stewardship, viewerships, wardenships, whisperings, worshipless, worshippers.

+5 letters: followership, horsewhipped, horsewhipper, paperweights, praiseworthy, shipwrecking, speechwriter, stewardships, superhighway, watermanship, whippletrees, whisperingly.