'[…]When the division was announced, he chuckled exceedingly, and in a stage whisper exclaimed, "Grey is check-mated !" '

Near to the audience the stage whisper was not much louder, although more distinct, than an ordinary whisper in private life.

Perhaps because of this, the convention of the 'stage whisper' came into being. All that distinguishes it from the true whisper is that a very little amount of voice in introduced and so what you end up with is extremely breathy voice production[…]

"Pretty legs," said Rebo in a stage whisper as Peter slowed down.

The duet was embellished with stage-whispered solos …

“The captain's voice, by G–!” said the stage-whispering ruffian, and both robbers fled by the way of the back door, shutting off their bull's-eye as they ran.

Into this melodrama stepped the American defence secretary, Leon Panetta. He stopped in both countries, urged both sides to get along better and affirmed America’s pledge of mutual defence with Japan—though an unnamed senior American military official stage-whispered to the Washington Post that America wouldn’t go to war “over a rock”.

There is some evidence to suggest that in whispered speech, particularly stage whispered speech, the larynx is raised appreciably.

Stage whisper

Meaning

Noun

Verb

Synonyms