FROM THE ARCHIVEThursday, September 24, 2026
susurrus
soo-SUR-us/sʊˈsɜːrəs//noun
01 / MEANING
A soft, continuous whispering or rustling sound.
Most often used for a low, ongoing sound such as leaves, voices, or water.
In a sentence.
- 01
The susurrus of leaves made the empty garden feel alive.
- 02
Under the conversation, there was a susurrus of rain against the windows.
Where it came from.
English borrowed susurrus from Latin, where susurrus meant a whisper or murmur. The Latin word is imitative: its repeated s sounds echo the very noise it names.
Latinsusurrusa whisper, a murmur
Englishsusurrusa soft rustling sound
Why it’s interesting.
It does more than name a quiet sound. Say susurrus aloud and you nearly produce one: a word that lets its meaning be heard.