whisper
whisper — noun
- whispersingular
- whispersplural
1. speech produced by pushing air through the mouth without vibrating the vocal cor
speech produced by pushing air through the mouth without vibrating the vocal cords, intended to be heard only by someone very close
Ilan lowered his voice to a whisper so the librarian would not hear him.
collocation: lower to a whisper
Tariq and Obi exchanged secrets in a whisper during the morning meeting.
prepositional phrase: in a whisper
Her whisper was so soft that Beatriz had to lean forward to catch the words.
A loud whisper from the back row made the teacher stop and look up.
Megan could hear the whisper of two students planning a surprise party for their classmate.
文法句型
in a whisper
a whisper
用法筆記
Common in the phrase 'in a whisper' to describe how something is said. 'Lower your voice to a whisper' is a fixed collocation for reducing volume.
常見錯誤
2. a gentle, quiet sound, such as the rustling of leaves in a light wind or the sof
a gentle, quiet sound, such as the rustling of leaves in a light wind or the soft movement of fabric
The only sound in the forest was the whisper of wind through the pine trees.
pattern: whisper of + wind/sound source
Sayaka listened to the gentle whisper of waves against the wooden boat.
collocation: gentle whisper
The whisper of silk skirts filled the hall as the dancers took their places.
From the kitchen came the whisper of rice being poured into a ceramic bowl.
Pim heard the whisper of autumn leaves skittering across the dry pavement.
文法句型
whisper of + noun
用法筆記
Frequently followed by 'of' and a noun naming the source of the sound: 'the whisper of leaves / rain / fabric / wind'.
3. unconfirmed news or a private hint passed from one person to another, often befo
unconfirmed news or a private hint passed from one person to another, often before it becomes public
Ada heard a whisper that the company would close its factory in July.
pattern: a whisper that + clause
Whispers about the election result spread through the newsroom before the official count.
pattern: whispers about + noun
Imran dismissed the whisper of a merger as nothing more than office gossip.
A quiet whisper among the nurses said the new doctor would arrive next week.
Reema ignored the whispers that her application had already been turned down.
- confirmation
official verification that something is true
- announcement
a public statement of fact
文法句型
whispers that + clause
whispers about + noun
用法筆記
Often used in the plural ('whispers') to suggest multiple people spreading information. Stronger than 'rumour' in suggesting the information is passed secretly rather than openly discussed.
常見錯誤
whisper — verb
- whisperpresent simple I / you / we / they
- whispershe / she / it
- whisperedpast simple
- whispering-ing form
1. to say something by pushing air past the mouth without vibrating the throat, for
to say something by pushing air past the mouth without vibrating the throat, for only the nearest person to hear
Caleb whispered the answer into his friend's ear so nobody else could hear.
transitive: whisper + noun + into [person's] ear
Élise whispered to her brother that dinner was ready, trying not to wake the baby.
pattern: whisper to + person + that-clause
The children whispered among themselves while the teacher wrote on the board.
Ilan whispered a goodbye to his grandmother and slipped out of the room.
Tariq whispered his address to the waiter so the other diners would not overhear.
文法句型
whisper + noun
whisper to + person
whisper + that-clause
用法筆記
Can be used transitively (whisper something) or intransitively (whisper to someone). The object is often words of secrecy, intimacy, or politeness: secrets, passwords, goodbyes, compliments.
常見錯誤
2. to pass along information quietly and informally, often about something that is
to pass along information quietly and informally, often about something that is not yet confirmed or that someone wants to keep hidden
People whispered that the bank might close, though no official announcement was made.
pattern: people whisper that + clause
It has been whispered that the principal plans to retire at year's end.
passive: it is whispered that + clause
Obi's colleagues whispered behind his back that he was looking for a new job.
Some employees whispered that the layoffs would begin after the holiday break.
文法句型
people whisper that
it is whispered that
whisper about + noun
用法筆記
Commonly used in the impersonal passive structure 'it is whispered that…'. The subject is typically a vague group ('people', 'some') or the passive construction — not a single named person.
3. to produce a soft, hushing sound like the movement of wind through dry leaves or
to produce a soft, hushing sound like the movement of wind through dry leaves or water flowing over pebbles
The dry leaves whispered as the old woman swept them across the courtyard.
intransitive: subject (nature/object) + whisper
The wind whispered through the bamboo grove, making a soft hushing sound.
Ada's long dress whispered against the wooden floor as she walked.
The river whispered over the smooth stones in the shallow riverbed.
The tall grass whispered in the evening breeze as the sun sank below the hills.
文法句型
+ prepositional phrase
+ adverb
用法筆記
Almost always intransitive. The subject is a natural element (wind, leaves, water, fabric) or an object that moves gently. Common in descriptive and literary writing; rarely used in everyday conversation about sound.