whispering

whispering — verb

1. to use only your breath to produce words in a very low sound, intended for the e

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to use only your breath to produce words in a very low sound, intended for the ears of just the one person nearest to you.

Example

Haruto leaned over and whispered the answer to his friend during the test.

whisper + [object] + to + [person]

The children were whispering in the library while their grandmother looked for books.

intransitive: were whispering (no object)

Common collocations
  • whisper softly
  • whisper quietly
  • whisper excitedly
  • whisper to each other
  • whisper in someone's ear
Synonyms
  • murmur

    softer and more continuous, often expresses affection; whispering is breath-only while murmuring uses vocal cords

  • mutter

    quieter and less clear, often expresses annoyance rather than secrecy

Antonyms
  • shout

    speak very loudly so many people can hear

  • yell

    loud and forceful, the opposite of secrecy

Grammar Patterns

whisper + to + person

whisper + something

whisper + speech

Usage Note

Frequently followed by to when the listener is named. The object of whisper is the words spoken, not the person being spoken to.

Common Mistakes

She whispered him the news.
She whispered the news to him.
English does not allow double-object construction (verb + person + thing) with whisper; use a to-phrase for the listener.

2. to let it be known in a quiet, off-the-record way that a particular situation or

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to let it be known in a quiet, off-the-record way that a particular situation or claim could be the case, without openly confirming it.

Example

Some members of the board are whispering that the CEO may resign soon.

whisper + that-clause for private suggestion

The staff were whispering that the school might close at the end of the year.

Common collocations
  • whisper about
  • whisper that
Synonyms
  • rumor

    commonly a noun; as a verb, less common and more informal than whispering

  • hint

    suggest indirectly without saying it outright, not necessarily secretly

Antonyms
  • confirm

    state something is true in an open, official way

Grammar Patterns

whisper + that-clause

Usage Note

Almost always takes a that-clause or is followed by about. The subject is typically an unspecified group of people when the truth is uncertain.

Common Mistakes

They whispered him to resign.
They whispered that he might resign.
whisper cannot take an infinitive complement; use a that-clause.

whispering — noun

whispering — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four describe quiet or unclear speech, but they differ in how the voice is used. Whisper means speaking with breath only, without using the vocal cords — the main goal is secrecy or preventing others from hearing. Murmur means speaking in a low, soft voice with some vocal sound, often to express affection, contentment, or quiet complaint. Mumble suggests speaking indistinctly with the mouth partly closed, making the words hard to follow. Mutter is like mumbling but usually conveys irritation or dissatisfaction. For example: Kemi whispered the train announcement so only Haruto could hear. The old man muttered something angry under his breath. The baby murmured happily while falling asleep. Please do not mumble — speak clearly so everyone can understand you.

whisper ↗murmur ↗mumble ↗mutter ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in a whisper
  • in hushed tones
  • in someone's ear

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishGermanic languagesEnglish

Whispering comes from the verb whisper, which traces back to Old English hwisprian, meaning 'to speak very softly.' This word is related to similar words in other Germanic languages, such as Old Saxon hwisprian and Old High German wispalōn. The sound of the word itself imitates the soft hissing noise of whispering — a type of word called onomatopoeic. The noun and adjective uses of whispering developed naturally from the verb over time.