Whisper

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: whis=per

CIDE DICTIONARY

Whisper, v. i. [AS. hwisprian; akin to G. wispern, wispeln, OHG. hwispaln, Icel. hvīskra, Sw. hviska, Dan. hviske; of imitative origin. Cf. Whistle.].

•  To speak softly, or under the breath, so as to be heard only by one near at hand; to utter words without sonant breath; to talk without that vibration in the larynx which gives sonorous, or vocal, sound. See Whisper, n.  [1913 Webster]
•  To make a low, sibilant sound or noise.  [1913 Webster]

  "The hollow, whispering breeze."  [1913 Webster]
•  To speak with suspicion, or timorous caution; to converse in whispers, as in secret plotting.  [1913 Webster]

  "All that hate me whisper together against me."  [1913 Webster]

Whisper, v. t. 

•  To utter in a low and nonvocal tone; to say under the breath; hence, to mention privately and confidentially, or in a whisper.  [1913 Webster]

  "They might buzz and whisper it one to another."  [1913 Webster]
•  To address in a whisper, or low voice.  [1913 Webster]

  "And whisper one another in the ear."  [1913 Webster]

  "Where gentlest breezes whisper souls distressed."  [1913 Webster]
•  To prompt secretly or cautiously; to inform privately.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

Whisper, n. 

•  A low, soft, sibilant voice or utterance, which can be heard only by those near at hand; voice or utterance that employs only breath sound without tone, friction against the edges of the vocal cords and arytenoid cartilages taking the place of the vibration of the cords that produces tone; sometimes, in a limited sense, the sound produced by such friction as distinguished from breath sound made by friction against parts of the mouth. See Voice, n., 2, and Guide to Pronunciation, 1913 Webster]

  "The inward voice or whisper can not give a tone."  [1913 Webster]

  "Soft whispers through the assembly went."  [1913 Webster]
•  A cautious or timorous speech.  South.  [1913 Webster]
•  Something communicated in secret or by whispering; a suggestion or insinuation.  [1913 Webster]
•  A low, sibilant sound.  Tennyson.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Whisper, v. & n.
--v.
1 a intr. speak very softly without vibration of the vocal cords. b intr. & tr. talk or say in a barely audible tone or in a secret or confidential way.
2 intr. speak privately or conspiratorially.
3 intr. (of leaves, wind, or water) rustle or murmur.
--n.
1 whispering speech (talking in whispers).
2 a whispering sound.
3 a thing whispered.
4 a rumour or piece of gossip.

Idiom

it is whispered there is a rumour. whispering-gallery a gallery esp. under a dome with acoustic properties such that a whisper may be heard round its entire circumference.

Derivative

whisperer n. whispering n.

Etymology

OE hwisprian f. Gmc

THESAURUS

Whisper

advice, alert, alerting, articulate, aspirate, aspiration, bark, bated breath, bawl, bellow, blare, blat, blubber, boom, bray, breath, breathe, breathy voice, broad hint, bruit, brush, buzz, cackle, canard, caress, caution, chant, chime, chirp, chorus, clue, come out with, common talk, communicate, confide, confide to, contact, convey, coo, crow, cry, cue, cutaneous sense, dash, deliver, disclose, drawl, drone, droning, emit, entrust with information, enunciate, exclaim, exhalation, express, feel, feeling, fingertip caress, fizz, fizzle, flick, fling off, flute, flying rumor, formulate, gabble, gasp, gentle hint, gesture, gibber, gibbering, give, give confidential information, give expression, give out with, give tongue, give utterance, give voice, glance, glimmer, glimmering, grapevine, graze, groan, growl, grunt, hand-mindedness, hearsay, hint, hiss, howl, idea afloat, impart, implication, index, indication, inkling, innuendo, insinuation, intimation, jabber, jibber, keen, kick, kiss, lambency, lap, latrine rumor, let in on, let next to, let out, lick, light touch, lilt, lip, little voice, look, low voice, maffle, maunder, maundering, mention privately, moan, monition, mouth, mouthing, mumble, mumbling, murmur, murmuration, murmuring, mussitate, mutter, muttering, news stirring, nod, nudge, office, on-dit, out with, pant, passing word, phonate, phrase, pipe, pointer, pour forth, present, prompt, pronounce, put forth, put hep, put in words, put next to, raise, report, roar, roorback, rub, rumble, rumor, say, scent, scream, screech, scuttlebutt, sense of touch, set forth, shade, shriek, sibilate, sigh, sign, signal, sing, sizzle, snap, snarl, snort, sob, soft voice, sough, sound, soupcon, speak incoherently, splutter, spoor, sputter, squall, squawk, squeal, stage whisper, steer, still small voice, stroke, suggestion, suspicion, susurrate, susurration, susurrus, swish, symptom, tactile sense, taction, take aside, talk, tap, tell, tell confidentially, telltale, tentative poke, throw off, thunder, tinge, tip, tip off, tip-off, touch, town talk, trace, track, trumpet, twang, unconfirmed report, underbreath, undertone, utter, verbalize, vocalize, voice, wail, warble, warning, wheeze, whiff, whine, whispering, whistle, whiz, whoosh, wink, word, yap, yawp, yell, yelp

ROGET THESAURUS

Whisper

Aphony

VB keep silence, speak low, speak softly, whisper, silence, render mute, render silent, muzzle, muffle, suppress, smother, gag, strike dumb, dumfounder, drown the voice, put to silence, stop one's mouth, cut one short, stick in the throat.

Stammering

N stammering, inarticulateness, stammering, hesitation, impediment in one's speech, titubancy, traulism, whisper, lisp, drawl, tardiloquence, nasal tone, nasal accent, twang, falsetto, broken voice, broken accents, broken sentences, brogue, slip of the tongue, lapsus linouae, stammering, inarticulate, guttural, nasal, tremulous, affected, sotto voce.

VB stammer, stutter, hesitate, falter, hammer, balbutiate, balbucinate, haw, hum and haw, be unable to put two words together, 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.

Faintness

N faintness, faint sound, whisper, breath, undertone, underbreath, murmur, hum, susurration, tinkle, still small voice, hoarseness, raucity, inaudible, scarcely audible, just audible, low, dull, stifled, muffled, hoarse, husky, gentle, soft, faint, floating, purling, flowing, whispered, liquid, soothing, dulcet, susurrant, susurrous, in a whisper, with bated breath, sotto voce, between the teeth, aside, piano, pianissimo, d la sourdine, out of earshot inaudibly, (ii) SPECIFIC SOUNDS.

VB whisper, breathe, murmur, purl, hum, gurgle, ripple, babble, flow, tinkle, mutter, susurrate, steal on the ear, melt in the air, float on the air.

Implication

VB be latent, lurk, smolder, underlie, make no sign, escape observation, escape detection, escape recognition, lie hid, laugh in one's sleeve, keep back, involve, imply, understand, allude to, infer, leave an inference, entail, whisper, read between the lines.

Information

N information, enlightenment, acquaintance, knowledge, publicity, data, communication, intimation, notice, notification, enunciation, annunciation, announcement, communiqu_e, representation, round robin, presentment, case, estimate, specification, report, advice, monition, news, return, account, statement, mention, acquainting, instruction, outpouring, intercommunication, communicativeness, informant, authority, teller, intelligencer, reporter, exponent, mouthpiece, informer, eavesdropper, delator, detective, sleuth, mouchard, spy, newsmonger, messenger, amicus curiae, valet de place, cicerone, pilot, guide, guidebook, handbook, vade mecum, manual, map, plan, chart, gazetteer, itinerary, hint, suggestion, innuendo, inkling, whisper, passing word, word in the ear, subaudition, cue, byplay, gesture, gentle hint, broad hint, verbum sapienti, a word to the wise, insinuation, information theory, bit, byte, word, doubleword, quad word, paragraph, segment, magnetic media, paper medium, optical media, random access memory, RAM, read-only memory, ROM, write once read mostly memory, WORM, informed, communique, reported, published, expressive, explicit plain spoken, (artless), nuncupative, nuncupatory, declaratory, expository, enunciative, communicative, communicatory, from information received, a little bird told me, I heard it through the grapevine.

VB tell, inform, inform of, acquaint, acquaint with, impart, impart to, make acquaintance with, apprise, advise, enlighten, awaken, transmit, let fall, mention, express, intimate, represent, communicate, make known, publish, notify, signify, specify, convey the knowledge of, let one know, have one to know, give one to understand, give notice, set before, lay before, put before, point out, put into one's head, put one in possession of, instruct, direct the attention to, announce, annunciate, report, report progress, bringword, send word, leave word, write word, telegraph, telephone, wire, retail, render an account, give an account, state, let slip, blurt out, spill the beans, unburden oneself of, let off one's chest, disclose, show cause, explain, 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, suggest, prompt, give the cue, breathe, whisper, whisper in the ear, give a bit of one's mind, tell one plainly, tell once for all, speak volumes, undeceive, unbeguile, set right, correct, open the eyes of, disabuse, disillusion one of, be informed of, know, learn, get scent of, get wind of, gather from, awaken to, open one's eyes to, become alive, become awake to, hear, overhear, understand, come to one's ears, come to one's knowledge, reach one's ears.

Concealment

VB conceal, hide, secrete, put out of sight, lock up, seal up, bottle up, encrypt, encode, cipher, 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, keep from, keep back, keep to oneself, keep snug, keep close, keep secret, keep dark, bury, sink, suppress, keep from, keep from out of view, keep from out of sight, keep in the shade, throw into the shade, throw into background, stifle, hush up, smother, withhold, reserve, fence with a question, ignore, keep a secret, keep one's own counsel, hold one's tongue, make no sign, not let it go further, not breathe a word, not breathe a syllable about, not let the right hand know what the left is doing, hide one's light under a bushel, bury one's talent in a napkin, keep in the dark, leave in the dark, keep in the ignorance, blind, blind the eyes, blindfold, hoodwink, mystify, puzzle, bamboozle, be concealed, suffer an eclipse, retire from sight, couch, hide oneself, lie hid, lie in perdu, lie in close, lie in ambush (ambush), seclude oneself, lurk, sneak, skulk, slink, prowl, steal into, steal out of, steal by, steal along, play at bopeep, play at hide and seek, hide in holes and corners, still hunt.