whispering
whispering — verb
1. to use only your breath to produce words in a very low sound, intended for the e
to use only your breath to produce words in a very low sound, intended for the ears of just the one person nearest to you.
Haruto leaned over and whispered the answer to his friend during the test.
whisper + [object] + to + [person]
The children were whispering in the library while their grandmother looked for books.
intransitive: were whispering (no object)
"The train is arriving," whispered Kemi, pointing toward the platform.
Mathieu whispered a funny comment to a friend during the long speech.
Lara whispered hello to the woman sitting next to her on the bus.
文法句型
whisper + to + person
whisper + something
whisper + speech
用法筆記
Frequently followed by to when the listener is named. The object of whisper is the words spoken, not the person being spoken to.
常見錯誤
2. to let it be known in a quiet, off-the-record way that a particular situation or
to let it be known in a quiet, off-the-record way that a particular situation or claim could be the case, without openly confirming it.
Some members of the board are whispering that the CEO may resign soon.
whisper + that-clause for private suggestion
The staff were whispering that the school might close at the end of the year.
Sari had heard them whispering about a possible merger between the two firms.
For months, people had whispered that the actor was planning to retire from films.
- confirm
state something is true in an open, official way
文法句型
whisper + that-clause
用法筆記
Almost always takes a that-clause or is followed by about. The subject is typically an unspecified group of people when the truth is uncertain.
常見錯誤
whispering — noun
1. the act or sound of talking in a very quiet voice that only people nearby can he
the act or sound of talking in a very quiet voice that only people nearby can hear.
The librarian told Caleb to stop his whispering and focus on the book.
uncountable: stop + [possessive] + whispering
A soft whispering came from the back row of the crowded theater.
All that could be heard was the whispering of students waiting for their exam.
Christopher could hear the constant whispering of the two women seated behind him.
- shouting
loud speech that is clearly audible to everyone
用法筆記
Uncountable — do not use a or an with it. To refer to a single instance, use a whisper instead.
常見錯誤
2. information or a story that is passed privately from person to person, often wit
information or a story that is passed privately from person to person, often without being confirmed as true.
There has been much whispering around the office about who will get the promotion.
there is + whispering + about + [topic]
The whispering about the actor's personal life spread quickly across social media.
Imran tried to ignore the whispering that followed him into the meeting room.
All the whispering turned out to be false when the company issued a statement.
- gossip
more personal and often about people's private lives; can be countable or uncountable
- speculation
more formal; thinking about possibilities without certain knowledge
- fact
information that is known to be true
- confirmation
official or certain information that removes doubt
用法筆記
Uncountable — refers to the collective activity of spreading private talk. Often followed by about.
常見錯誤
3. a soft, gentle sound that is similar to what someone whispering makes, often pro
a soft, gentle sound that is similar to what someone whispering makes, often produced by natural things such as wind, water, or leaves.
The whispering of the wind through the bamboo was peaceful and calming.
the whispering of + [wind]
Mert could hear the whispering of leaves as he walked through the park.
hear + the whispering of + [leaves]
The gentle whispering of the stream helped Imani fall asleep quickly.
There was only the whispering of rain against the window all night long.
文法句型
the whispering of + [wind/leaves/water]
用法筆記
Often used with of followed by a natural element (wind, leaves, water, rain). More common in descriptive or literary writing than everyday speech.
whispering — adjective
1. making a low, soft, continuous sound that is barely audible, like a quiet voice
making a low, soft, continuous sound that is barely audible, like a quiet voice speaking.
The whispering stream ran through the middle of the forest.
From the kitchen came the whispering sound of a pot of water boiling.
attributive: whispering + [sound]
The old house was full of whispering noises that made Maeve uneasy.
Nia sat under the whispering branches of the willow tree reading a book.
文法句型
whispering + noun
用法筆記
Used only before a noun (attributive), not after a linking verb. You cannot say 'The stream is whispering' in this sense — use whisper as a verb instead.