What does susurrant mean?
Susurrant is an adjective describing something that whispers or makes a soft, barely audible sound. It can refer to voices, movements, breezes, rustling leaves, or other gentle noises, giving them a soft and often mysterious character. The word is chiefly literary rather than everyday, so it appears more often in formal prose, poetry, or descriptive writing than in casual conversation. In a sentence such as “a susurrant breeze,” it suggests a sound so delicate that it is almost imagined rather than loudly heard. Susurrant is useful when an author wants to emphasize quietness, softness, or subtle movement with a more evocative term than simply “whispering.”
adjectiveCharacterized by or making a soft, whispering sound. Used especially in literary or poetic contexts.
- Soft or whispering in sound; making a gentle, barely audible noise.
"A susurrant breeze stirred the tall grass beyond the garden wall."
"The susurrant rustle of leaves announced the arrival of wind."
"She spoke in a susurrant voice that was barely audible across the room."
Susurrant gives a voice the hushed, gliding quality of a whisper, often with a distinctly literary sound.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of susurrant
Susurrant comes from the Latin participle susurrans, meaning “whispering” or “murmuring,” formed from susurrus, a noun referring to a whisper or low murmuring sound. English borrowed the word in the early 19th century in a literary and poetic sense. Its Latin relatives include susurrus and susurration, while the cognate verb susurrate has also entered English with the meaning “to whisper or murmur.”
Related word forms
How susurrant is actually used
This is a literary and relatively uncommon word. It is typically used of whispers, voices, breezes, and other sounds, and may sound elevated or poetic in ordinary conversation.
Easily confused with susurrant
Susurrant describes a soft, whispering quality, whereas surreptitious means done secretly or in a stealthy manner.