Whistled Whistle High Sound ˈwɪsl Make Tune Amazement

• to whistle a tune
• he whistled in amazement.
• the crowd booed and whistled as the player came onto the field.
• she whistled to the dog to come back.

whistle

1. to make a high sound or a musical tune by forcing your breath out when your lips are closed
• to whistle a tune
• He whistled in amazement.
• The crowd booed and whistled as the player came onto the field.
• She whistled to the dog to come back.
• Workmen whistled at her as she walked past.
• He whistled at the sheer audacity of the plan.
2. to make a high sound by blowing into a whistle
• The referee whistled for a foul.
3. to make a high sound
• The kettle began to whistle.
• The microphone was making a strange whistling sound.
• The train whistled and shot into the tunnel.
4. to move quickly, making a high sound
• The wind whistled down the chimney.
• A bullet whistled past his ear.
5. to make a high sound
6. used to say that you are not going to give somebody something that they have asked for
• If he wants his money he can whistle for it—I’m broke!

Extra Examples

• James whistled in amazement.
• Men whistled at her in the street.
• Norma looked at the letter and whistled softly through her teeth.
• William whistled to me from a distance.
• He started to whistle a tune.

Verb Forms

• present simple I / you / we / they whistle
• he / she / it whistles
• past simple whistled
• past participle whistled
• -ing form whistling

Word Origin

• Old English (h)wistlian (verb), (h)wistle (noun), of Germanic origin; imitative and related to Swedish vissla ‘to whistle’.