Words I love: Susurrus
Susurrus (noun)
Pronunciation: soo-SUR-us
Meaning: A soft whispering, murmuring, or rustling sound.
Some words seem to carry their meaning in their sound. Susurrus is one of them. Say it slowly, and you can almost hear leaves stirring in a breeze.
It brings to mind quiet, ordinary moments: sitting outside with the cats, listening to the pecan tree, or opening a window to hear the rain. These sounds are easy to overlook. I love that there is a word that invites us to listen.
A few examples:
I sat in the yard with my cats, listening to the susurrus of leaves in the pecan trees around me.
When I couldn’t sleep, I opened the window and let the susurrus of the rain lull me into a slumber.
A quiet susurrus filled the church as people whispered before Mass began.
Susurrus is a literary word, so you may encounter it more often in poetry or fiction than in conversation. But the sound it describes belongs to everyday life.
What quiet sound would you describe as a susurrus?
