whisper — OAT

whisper

verb

1 Alison was whispering in his ear:

murmur, mutter, mumble, speak/say softly, speak/say in muted tones, speak/say in hushed tones, speak/say sotto voce;

breathe, purr, say under one's breath.

▷antonyms shout.

2 literary the wind and the mist whispered in the grass:

rustle, murmur, sigh, moan, sough, whoosh, whir, swish, blow, breathe;

rare susurrate.

▷antonyms howl, roar.

noun

1 she spoke in a whisper:

murmur, mutter, mumble, low voice, hushed tone, undertone.

▷antonyms shout.

2 literary the hot desert wind died to a whisper:

rustle, murmur, sigh, moan, sough, whoosh, whir, swish;

rare susurration.

▷antonyms howl, roar.

3 literary the whisper of falling water:

babble, burble, purl, lap;

literary plash.

▷antonyms roar, thunder.

4 I heard a whisper that he's been selling coins lately:

rumor, story, report, speculation, insinuation, suggestion, hint;

(whispers) gossip, hearsay, word, scandal, tittle-tattle, idle talk;

French on dit, bavardage;

German Kaffeeklatsch;

West Indian labrish, shu-shu;

informal buzz;

British, informal goss;

North American, informal scuttlebutt;

US, informal tea;

Australian, New Zealand, informal furphy;

South African, informal skinder;

rare bruit.

5 he didn't even show a whisper of interest:

trace, scrap, touch, tinge, hint, suggestion, suspicion, soupçon, whiff, inkling, scintilla, whit, spark, glimmer, flicker, atom, speck, bit, ounce, drop, dash, jot, iota, shred, crumb, morsel, fragment, vestige, grain, spot, mite, modicum;

informal smidgen, smidge, tad;

Irish, informal stim;

archaic scantling, scruple.