whispery

adjective

whis·​pery ˈ(h)wi-sp(ə-)rē How to pronounce whispery (audio)
1
: resembling a whisper
2
: full of whispers

Examples of whispery in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But, the almost whispery voice and preternatural calm on display when Carl is on-camera turns instantly into a passive-aggressive control mechanism when the red light turns off. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2023 Beyoncé makes the most of her whispery upper register here, following disco greats like Donna Summer. Vulture, 2 Aug. 2022 The song builds into its soaring chorus worthy of a Broadway stage before decelerating into a whispery finale – an ideal cadence for a pair of symbiotic vocalists. Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 28 Nov. 2022 In rehearsals, Blake is most surprised by Jaeden and his whispery tone. Maggie Fremont, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2022 Pops sings the third verse in his sweet, whispery tone, the narrative oozing out of him like a slow, thick stream of Bosco. David Remnick, The New Yorker, 27 June 2022 One of Nirvana’s weirdest, most whispery songs, complete with musings on the emotions of aquatic life, is a streaming smash nearly 31 years after its release — thanks to its use as a bellwether for Bruce Wayne’s emotions in The Batman. Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2022 Khan contrasts this whispery realism, meanwhile, with stark breaks to dissociative fantasy reflecting Mary’s inner turmoil: In her reveries, a ceiling cracks and crashes and floods, and the white cliffs of Dover crumble to powder. Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Mar. 2022 The whispery background vocals taper out to a solo guitar rather than an uptempo soneo at the end for a more deliberately wistful effect. Leila Cobo, Billboard, 4 Mar. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whispery.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of whispery was in 1834

Dictionary Entries Near whispery

Cite this Entry

“Whispery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whispery. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

whispery

adjective
whis·​pery ˈhwis-p(ə-)rē How to pronounce whispery (audio)
ˈwis-
: resembling a whisper
a whispery voice
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