Sibilant
adjective /ˈsɪb.ɪ.lənt/ — Making a hissing sound like the letter 's'
Definition
Characterised by or producing a hissing sound — the soft, continuous fricative of 's', 'sh', and 'z' sounds. In poetry, sibilance creates a particular soft texture.
Beyond the definition
The most serpentine of sounds. Sibilance can be soothing (the sea) or sinister (a whispered threat) depending entirely on context.
Origin & history
From Latin 'sibilans' (hissing), present participle of 'sibilare' (to hiss, to whistle). The word hisses as it describes hissing.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The poem's sibilant quality — all those 's' sounds — gave it the texture of wind through grass.
She noticed the sibilant whispering of her name in the crowd before she could locate its source.
Sibilant sounds can be threatening or comforting — the sea uses them both ways.
Synonyms
hissing, hushing, whispering, fricative
Antonyms
plosive, sharp
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Friction in Spoken Communication
Two individuals stand in a low-lit space, one leaning forward with tense posture and a pointed finger, the other turning away slightly.
Sibilance refers to the soft, hissing sound of certain consonants. The visual focuses on the tactile friction and tension of a difficult verbal exchange, where sharp gestures represent the auditory harshness often associated with sibilant sounds.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration