whispered

Verb

whisper (third-person singular simple present whispers, present participle whispering, simple past and past participle whispered)

1. (intransitive) To speak softly or under one's breath, so as to be heard only by one near at hand; to utter words without sonant breath; to talk without that vibration of the vocal cords which gives sonorous, or vocal, sound.
   • I can hear them whisper as we pass by
     It's a bad sign, bad sign2014 October 27, Taylor Swift, Ryan Tedder, “I Know Places (Taylor's Version)”, in 1989 (Taylor's Version), performed by Taylor Swift, published 27 October 2023

   Synonyms:

   breathe

2. (transitive) To say (something) softly or under one's breath, so as to be heard only by one near at hand; to utter (something) without sonant breath, without that vibration of the vocal cords which gives sonorous, or vocal, sound.
   • Whether he whispered sweet nothings to her in Stengelese is not known, but he did call her "the best catch I ever made in my career."1981 April 15, Ira Berkow, “DRAMA IN 'STENGELESE: YOU CAN LOOK IT UP”, in The New York Times

   Synonyms:

   breathe

3. (transitive) To mention privately and confidentially, or in a whisper.
   • They might buzz and whisper it one to another.1692, Richard Bentley, [A Confutation of Atheism] (please specify the sermon), London: [Thomas Parkhurst; Henry Mortlock], published 1692–1693
4. (intransitive) To make a low, sibilant sound.
   • the hollow, whispering breezea. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Spring”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, →OCLC
5. (intransitive) To speak with suspicion or timorous caution; to converse in whispers, as in secret plotting.
   • All that hate me whisper together against me.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 41:7
6. (obsolete, transitive) To address in a whisper, or low voice.
   • and whisper one another in the earc. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...

See all 16 meanings of whisper