whisper
Translation
to speak very quietly, to murmur
Examples
She whispered a secret in his ear.
She whispered a secret in his ear.
The wind whispered through the trees.
The wind whispered through the trees.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) ((to sb.)) to say (sth.) very quietly to (sb.). She whispered a secret to him.
((that ...)) to say quietly that... He whispered that he was leaving.
Similar Words
Synonyms: murmur, mutter; Antonyms: shout, yell
Etymology
Old English 'hwisprian', of imitative origin, like the sound of whispering.
Memory Tips
The 'wh' and 'sp' sounds in 'whisper' mimic the soft, breathy sound of whispering itself.