susurration

IPA/ˌsuː.sərˈeɪ.ʃən/
IPA/ˌsʌs.ərˈeɪ.ʃən/

susurration — noun

  • susurrationsingular
  • susurrationsplural

1. a quiet, continuous sound that resembles whispering — for example, the noise of

1.nounC2
Definition

a quiet, continuous sound that resembles whispering — for example, the noise of wind passing through leaves, water flowing over stones, or a crowd speaking very softly

Example

Théo listened to the soft susurration of the river from the bank.

collocation: soft susurration of [natural sound]

A gentle susurration came from the crowd as the winner was announced.

collocation: gentle susurration from [source]

Common collocations
  • soft susurration
  • gentle susurration
  • faint susurration
  • the susurration of voices
  • the susurration of the wind
  • the susurration of leaves
  • the susurration of the crowd
Synonyms
  • whisper

    more concrete and personal — a whisper is produced by a person's voice, while susurration can be a natural or non-human sound

  • murmur

    slightly less formal and can refer to a soft human voice; susurration emphasises a continuous, almost musical quality

  • rustle

    specifically describes a dry, light sound made by leaves, paper, or fabric; narrower in scope than susurration

Antonyms
  • roar

    suggests a deep, loud, powerful sound — the opposite of softness

  • din

    refers to a loud, unpleasant, continuous noise

Grammar Patterns

the susurration of [something]

Usage Note

Frequently followed by an 'of'-phrase specifying the source of the sound (wind, leaves, voices, water). Almost exclusively used in literary or formal registers; uncommon in everyday conversation.

Word family

  • susurrate
    verbC2
  • susurrous
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe soft, quiet sounds, but they differ in source and texture. A whisper is always produced by a person's voice, often deliberately. A murmur is also vocal but more continuous and indistinct, like the sound of a distant conversation. Rustle specifically refers to the dry, light noise of leaves, paper, or fabric brushing together. A hum is a steady, low-pitched sound made by a machine or by a person with closed lips, lacking the breathy quality of a whisper. Susurration can cover all of these scenarios where the sound is soft, continuous, and soothing, making it the broadest and most literary term. For instance, a visitor to a temple might hear the susurration of wind in the trees, while inside a person might whisper a prayer.

whisper ↗murmur ↗rustle ↗hum ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • the susurration of something

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Susurration comes from Latin susurratio, meaning 'a whispering', which comes from the verb susurrare ('to hum, to murmur, to whisper'). The root is the Latin noun susurrus ('a whisper, a murmuring'), which is thought to be imitative of the sound itself. The word entered English in the 1400s and has been used in literary and scientific writing ever since.

First known use

1640

1640, in the meaning defined above