whisper
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to speak very softly using your breath so that only someone close to you can hear.
v.to utter words without vibration of the vocal cords, typically to maintain secrecy or avoid disturbing others.
Simple“She leaned over to whisper the secret into her friend's ear during the movie.”
In context“The witnesses began to whisper among themselves as the judge entered the room, creating a low hum of anxious conversation.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to send a private message to one person in a public chat room.
v.to transmit a private digital message to a specific user within a multi-user chat environment.
Simple“If you have a question about the rules, just whisper the moderator.”
In context“The streamer asked viewers to whisper their technical issues to the support bot rather than flooding the main chat.”
SynonymsDMPM - 03 B1 Intermediate
n.the act of speaking quietly or the quiet sound itself.
n.the act or sound of speaking without sonant breath.
Simple“They spoke in a whisper so they wouldn't wake the sleeping baby.”
In context“The conversation dropped to a whisper as they approached the library's restricted archives.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a secret piece of news or a rumor that people are talking about privately.
n.a widely circulated rumor or report, often implying secrecy or lack of official confirmation.
Simple“There are whispers that the company might close its local office next year.”
In context“Despite official denials, whispers of a hostile takeover continued to circulate throughout the financial district.”
UsageOften used in the plural form 'whispers'.
Antonyms - 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a very quiet, rustling sound like wind in the trees.
n.a low, sibilant sound reminiscent of quiet speech, often produced by natural elements.
Simple“The only sound in the forest was the soft whisper of the wind through the pines.”
In context“The distant whisper of the waves against the shore provided a rhythmic backdrop to the quiet evening.”
- 06 C1 Advanced
n.a very small amount or a slight trace of something.
n.a faint trace, hint, or slight suggestion of a quality or substance.
Simple“The soup was good, but it needed just a whisper of salt to be perfect.”
In context“The old house still held a whisper of the original owner's perfume, lingering faintly in the velvet curtains.”
Synonyms
“A voice in Nielsen’s head whispered: was it really violent?”
From Middle English whisperen, from Old English hwisprian (“to mutter, murmur, whisper”), from Proto-West Germanic hwisprōn, from Proto-Germanic hwisprōną (“to hiss, whistle, whisper”), from Proto-Indo-European ḱweys-, ḱwey- (“to hiss, whistle, whisper”). Cognate with Dutch wisperen (“to whisper”), German wispern (“to mumble, whisper”). Related also to Danish hviske (“to whisper”), Icelandic hvískra (“to whisper”), Norwegian Bokmål hviske, kviskre (“to whisper”), Norwegian Nynorsk kviskre, kviskra (“to whisper”), Swedish viska (“to whisper”). More at English whistle.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.