I. verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
Chinese whispers
conspiratorial whisper/smile/wink etc
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Britta gave him a conspiratorial smile.
hoarse voice/whisper/groan etc
hushed tones/voice/whispers etc (= quiet speech )
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They spoke in hushed tones at the table.
say/whisper sth into sb's ear
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He whispered something into his wife's ear.
stage whisper
talk in a low voice/a whisper etc
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They were talking in low voices, and I couldn’t catch what they were saying.
whispering campaign
whispering sweet nothings
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a couple whispering sweet nothings to each other
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
urgently
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The boy is about to reach out for it when Dixie whispers urgently in his ear.
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She leaned across to two men on a neighbouring table and whispered urgently between their lowered heads.
■ NOUN
ear
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In Holly's ear Feldstein whispered of the circulation of the samizdat writings.
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I strained my eyes to see their faces, my ears to catch their whispered voices.
name
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She whispered his name over and over: Mr Sargent, Mr Sargent.
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She whispered her name to me.
voice
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A voice whispered that the work was nonsense, too far removed from the interests of the age to be of value.
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His voice was whispered , incredulous; something about the curious paths of his own life caused him endless surprise.
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When he had woken up that morning the voices were waiting, whispering out on the staircase.
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Arianna, a voice inside her whispered .
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Play him at his own game, a small voice whispered .
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A little voice inside her whispered that Luke had never intended his generous words to be taken literally.
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When they cut the engine, Tabitha could hear tiny voices whispering to them.
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He was right, a distant voice in her mind whispered mockingly.
word
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Some of the people whispered words in response to the priest's holy things.
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And never shall I forget those whispered words .
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For had not Caswell been beautiful - his full, sensuous lips, whispering honeyed words .
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Inna whispered secret words of comfort and hope into Rachel's ear.
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He displayed an ordinary military radio and whispered a few words and made their village disappear.
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Tallis dragged the animal down and soothed it, stroking its muzzle and whispering soft words .
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Anita said one more time, whispering the word like a prayer.
■ VERB
begin
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The lawyer believed his colleagues had begun to whisper about him behind his back.
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In utter confidence she begins to sweetly whisper her secrets to the writer, who listens, transfixed.
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Little Billy began to hear somebody whispering in his ear.
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He or she begins to whisper , and in the voice is hypnotism, liberation, energy, possibly even truth.
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Behind them, in the forest, a tiny wind began to whisper , and a faint awareness stirred the air.
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Yet it began to be whispered secretly that he was dying.
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She pulled Philippa aside and began to whisper to her.
hear
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I heard them whispering to the other sailors several times, but I did not suspect what they were planning.
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From her piggyback vantage point she heard dry reeds whisper and water splash.
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Beyond one open doorway Alan heard children whispering in the dark - many children.
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Test the hearing to whispered voice or watch ticking.
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She could hear them whispering in the passage.
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We entered the outskirts of Yaroslavl and I heard the others whispering to themselves.
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I heard him whispering to my master all evening, and I was sorry I had laughed at him.
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I hear a black boy whisper to the other.
leaned
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Then he leaned forward and whispered something into his left ear.
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One of his soldiers leaned forward and whispered to hirn; the Prime Minister shook his head.
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Magrat leaned over and whispered something in her husband's ear.
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The thin figure leaned over and whispered in the sleeper's ear.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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""Don't wake the baby,'' whispered Jemima.
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Fran leant over and whispered something in her sister's ear.
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Those two always sit in the back of the room and whisper .
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We had to whisper because Jill's mother was in the next room.
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Why are you two whispering?
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You don't have to whisper - there's no one around.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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I whispered, quietly yet urgently, that there was a bear nearby.
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I heard them whispering to the other sailors several times, but I did not suspect what they were planning.
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Repeat, whispering up to eight in an even stream as you breathe out.
II. noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
conspiratorial
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He dropped to a conspiratorial stage whisper with Margaret: Where is she anyway?
loud
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When she started talking again her voice was not much louder than a whisper .
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No one dared to object to him directly about his dim light, though some people grumbled about it in loud whispers .
■ NOUN
stage
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He dropped to a conspiratorial stage whisper with Margaret: Where is she anyway?
■ VERB
ask
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I asked in a whisper , fearing suspicious spirits, listening gods, and Edna.
hear
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But Dai Huang was not around to hear their whispers .
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How many of you have been hearing whispers in your mind that you have been ignoring? ....
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I hear whispers , black boys.
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Alexei heard a whisper of sound at his back, but he did not turn.
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I believe I hear them laugh and whisper .
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And when I picked it up, I could only hear a whisper .
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Ask the students if they think they can hear a whisper from one end of the class to the other.
say
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But they say it in a whisper .
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Suffice it to say that the whisper eventually turned into a shout and the five-foot pile of dirt was reduced considerably.
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Regan, the chief stagehand, said in a harsh whisper .
speak
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But in between all these things something happens which is only spoken of in hushed whispers .
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He could not speak above a whisper .
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Dexter eased himself across the room and spoke in a whisper .
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They spoke among themselves in whispers , which fell off into sibilant monosyllables, and then into nothing at all.
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Both spoke to each other in whispers .
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They clung to each other, speaking in desperate whispers , sharing the shock and terror of a recently confirmed test result.
talk
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But when the moment came, when he heard her, talking in a fear-ridden whisper , it wrenched at him.
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They talk and laugh in whispers , their gestures efficient and contained.
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Tashie had made everyone take off their shoes and promise not to talk or even whisper .
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After he went to sleep, she and I talked in whispers .
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Islington's brave battler can still barely talk above a whisper .
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They were talking in whispers , laughing.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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Both spoke to each other in whispers.
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But Dai Huang was not around to hear their whispers.
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Control over the full range from thunderous chords to glittering passage work to a mere whisper of a pianissimo was total.
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His words ended in a harsh whisper .
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The driver conferred in hurried whispers with the men, and we climbed in quickly.
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Throughout presidential history, there have been whispers.