Gloss · Words · Susurrus

susurrus

sʊˈsʌrəsnoun

What does susurrus mean?

A soft, whispering sound, like leaves in a breeze or a crowd talking quietly.

Susurrus, six ways

PlainA soft, whispering sound, like leaves in a breeze or a crowd talking quietly.
ADHDA whispery rustle. Leaves, a quiet crowd. That sound.
Gen ZA soft, whispery rustling. Leaves, or a crowd before the lights go down.
MetaphorThe sound a forest makes when it talks to itself.
FormalA whispering or rustling sound; a murmur.
Like I’m 5The quiet shhh sound leaves make when the wind goes through them. That’s a susurrus.

How to pronounce susurrus

soo-SUR-us/sʊˈsʌrəs/

Susurrus in a sentence

A susurrus ran through the crowd.
The susurrus of the sea through the open window.
A susurrus of approval went round the hall.

Synonyms for susurrus

whisperPlainer.
murmurA low, continuous sound.
rustleOf leaves and paper.

Where susurrus comes from

Latin. Susurrus, a whisper, a word that sounds like the thing it names.

Good to know

Mostly literary: the susurrus of leaves, of traffic far off, of a crowd before the lights go down.

Susurrus meaning, on a Gloss card: A soft, whispering sound, like leaves in a breeze or a crowd talking quietly.

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In: Beautiful words · Words for the senses