whisper
♦ whis|per /hw'ɪspər/ (whispers whispering whispered)
1 [VERB] V with quote, V prep, V n prep, V that, V n
When you whisper, you say something very quietly, using your breath rather than your throat, so that only one person can hear you.
`Keep your voice down,' I whispered...
She sat on Rossi's knee as he whispered in her ear...
He whispered the message to David...
Somebody whispered that films like that were illegal...
She whispered his name.
[N-COUNT]
Whisper is also a noun.
Men were talking in whispers in every office.
2 [VERB] V about wh/n, it be V-ed that, V n
If people whisper about a piece of information, they talk about it, although it might not be true or accurate, or might be a secret.
Today, we no longer gasp when we hear a teenage girl is pregnant or whisper about unmarried couples who live together...
It is whispered that he intended to resign...
But don't whisper a word of that.
[N-COUNT]
Whisper is also a noun.
I've heard a whisper that the Bishop intends to leave.
= rumourstage whis|per (stage whispers)
also stage-whisper
[N-COUNT]
If someone says something in a stage whisper, they say it as if they are speaking privately to one person, although it is actually loud enough to be heard by other people.
1 [VERB] V with quote, V prep, V n prep, V that, V n
When you whisper, you say something very quietly, using your breath rather than your throat, so that only one person can hear you.
`Keep your voice down,' I whispered...
She sat on Rossi's knee as he whispered in her ear...
He whispered the message to David...
Somebody whispered that films like that were illegal...
She whispered his name.
[N-COUNT]
Whisper is also a noun.
Men were talking in whispers in every office.
2 [VERB] V about wh/n, it be V-ed that, V n
If people whisper about a piece of information, they talk about it, although it might not be true or accurate, or might be a secret.
Today, we no longer gasp when we hear a teenage girl is pregnant or whisper about unmarried couples who live together...
It is whispered that he intended to resign...
But don't whisper a word of that.
[N-COUNT]
Whisper is also a noun.
I've heard a whisper that the Bishop intends to leave.
= rumourstage whis|per (stage whispers)
also stage-whisper
[N-COUNT]
If someone says something in a stage whisper, they say it as if they are speaking privately to one person, although it is actually loud enough to be heard by other people.