rumor
AmericanUsage
What does rumor mean? A rumor is a story or statement that is being passed around without confirmation that the information is true, as in I heard a rumor about a new superhero movie.Rumor can also mean general hearsay, as in You shouldn’t put much faith in rumor and speculation. As a verb, rumor means to spread or report rumors. When used this way, it is usually accompanied by the thing that is a rumor, as in It has been rumored that Disney is building a new amusement park outside the city. While rumor does mean the information hasn’t been checked, it is still possible for it to be true. For this reason, rumor may not always be able to be used as a synonym for words like lie, falsehood, nonsense, or fiction.In British English, rumor is often spelled as rumour.A person who loves spreading rumors is called a rumormonger.Example: My gossipy neighbor loves spreading ridiculous rumors all over town.
Other Word Forms
- unrumored adjective
Etymology
Origin of rumor
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English rumour, from Middle French, from Latin rūmor; akin to Sanskrit rāuti, rāvati “(he) cries”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But rumors of a Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch have circulated for years, and speculation soared following Mayweather's announcement last week that he would return to the professional arena this year.
From Barron's
They first sparked dating rumors in July, when they were seen enjoying a meal together in Montreal, just one month after it was revealed that Perry had split from her fiancé, Orlando Bloom.
From MarketWatch
Elsa Puente, 59, a catering manager in Guadalajara, said she was meeting with friends in the morning when rumors started to spread about violence in the streets.
One of the world’s most wanted criminals, rumors about El Mencho’s death and capture have circulated in the past and turned out to be false.
From Los Angeles Times
At The Texas Tribune Festival in November, Gonzales addressed the allegations for the first time, saying the “rumors are completely untruthful.”
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
