faintness

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

Weakness of sound

Nouns

1. faintness, softness, lowness, indistinctness; decrescendo, diminuendo. See sound, silence, weakness.

2. (faint sound) murmur, mumble, mutter, whisper, undertone, muffled tone(s); aside, stage whisper; sigh, breath; hum, buzz; rustle, rustling; [pitter-]patter, tap, tinkle, gurgle, burble.

Verbs — whisper, murmur, rustle, mutter, hum, buzz, tap, tinkle; breathe, sigh; rustle, patter, tap, tinkle, gurgle, burble; steal on the ear, speak under one's breath.

Adjectives — faint, soft, low, dim, weak, feeble; indistinct, half-heard; muffled, subdued, bated; piano, pianissimo, decrescendo; distant; whispering, murmuring, etc.

Adverbs — faintly, softly, etc.; piano, pianissimo; sotto voce, under one's breath, with bated breath, in a whisper, in an undertone; muted, à la sourdine; in the distance, out of hearing or earshot.

Phrases — speak softly and carry a big stick.

Quotations — A soft answer turneth away wrath (Bible), Speak low, if you speak love (Shakespeare), Tread softly because you tread on my dreams (W B. Yeats).

Antonyms, see loudness, silence.