murmur
Americannoun
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murmurs
plural
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a low, continuous sound, as of a brook, the wind, or trees, or of low, indistinct voices.
- Synonyms:
- mumble, susurration, grumble, mutter, complaint
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a mumbled or private expression of discontent.
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Also called heart murmur. Medicine/Medical.
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an abnormal sound heard on listening to the heart, usually through a stethoscope, produced by the blood passing through deformed cardiac valves.
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in some persons a similar sound heard when blood passes through normal valves.
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Phonetics. a voice quality in which vibration of the vocal cords is accompanied by the escape of a great deal of air, as in the (h) of ahead; breathy voice.
verb (used without object)
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murmurs,
present (3rd person singular)
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murmured,
past participle, past
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murmuring
present participle
-
to make a low or indistinct sound, especially continuously.
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to speak in a low tone or indistinctly.
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to complain in a low tone or in private.
- Synonyms:
- grouse
verb (used with object)
-
murmurs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
murmured,
past participle, past
-
murmuring
present participle
-
to sound by murmurs.
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to utter in a low tone.
He murmured a threat as he left the room.
noun
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a continuous low indistinct sound, as of distant voices
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an indistinct utterance
a murmur of satisfaction
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a complaint; grumble
he made no murmur at my suggestion
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med any abnormal soft blowing sound heard within the body, usually over the chest See also heart murmur
verb
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to utter (something) in a murmur
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(intr) to complain in a murmur
Usage
What does murmur mean? To murmur is to make a continuous, low, and indistinct sound. Such a sound can be called a murmur. Examples include the sound of water in a stream, the wind through the trees, and the low, muffled sound of a TV in another room. This is the way the word is used in the phrase the murmur of the crowd, which refers to the collective sound of a lot of people talking at once. In contrast, the roar of the crowd refers to collective cheering and is much louder. Murmur also means to say something in a low tone that can’t be easily understood. Similar words are mutter and mumble. Murmuring in this way is often done to express discontent with whatever one is talking about. The thing that’s said can be called a murmur. This sense of murmur can also be used in a more figurative way to refer to a private expression of discontent, as in There were murmurs about a strike. In the context of medicine, murmur is a short form of the term heart murmur, referring to an abnormal sound heard when listening to a heartbeat with a stethoscope (such a sound may indicate the presence of deformation in the heart valves). Example: The endless murmur of the creek was as good as a lullaby, soothing me to sleep.
Synonym Usage
Murmur, mumble, mutter mean to make sounds that are not fully intelligible. To murmur is to utter sounds or words in a low, almost inaudible tone, as in expressing affection or dissatisfaction: to murmur disagreement. To mumble is to utter imperfect or inarticulate sounds with the mouth partly closed, so that the words can be distinguished only with difficulty: to mumble the answer to a question. To mutter is to utter words in a low, grumbling way, often voicing complaint or discontent, not meant to be fully audible: to mutter complaints.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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murmurernoun
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murmuringnoun
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murmurlessadjective
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murmurousadjective
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unmurmuredadjective
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unmurmuringadjective
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murmuringlyadverb
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murmurlesslyadverb
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unmurmuringlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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murmursimple
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murmurssimple
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have murmuredperfect
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has murmuredperfect
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am murmuringprogressive
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are murmuringprogressive
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is murmuringprogressive
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have been murmuringperfect progressive
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has been murmuringperfect progressive
Past
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murmuredsimple
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had murmuredperfect
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was murmuringprogressive
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were murmuringprogressive
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had been murmuringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of murmur
First recorded in 1275–1325; verb murmur from Middle English murmuren, from Latin murmurāre “to mutter, make a gentle sound, roar, grumble,” a Latin development of mormor-, murmur-, a Proto-Indo-European onomatopoeic root that appears in Greek mormýrein “(of water) to boil noisily,” Sanskirt marmara- “rustling, rushing,” Lithuanian murmėti “to babble, mutter,” and German murmeln “to mumble, murmur”; noun murmur also from Middle English, from Latin
Explanation
A murmur is a quiet, blurred sound often heard from a distance. It can be comforting when you're little to fall asleep listening to the murmur of your parents talking downstairs. Murmur can also be a verb that means the same as mutter: you say something so quietly that your words can't be understood. You might be complaining about something — a murmur is often a sign that someone's not pleased. A heart murmur is an abnormal heart sound that can only be detected by a doctor with a stethoscope, it's so low and soft.
Vocabulary lists containing murmur
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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.
See Examples For:
In the dark, eight double basses murmur a low E-flat so softly that the sound is felt before it is heard.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
All 349 “murmurs” in the Twilight saga: In this very scientific investigation, Rachelle Hampton ranked and charted all the times Stephenie Meyer used the word murmur in her YA vampire series.
From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2026
"There are just so many moments here that could sing, yet they barely murmur," he wrote.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
“It never dawned on me that four years later I’d be like, the murmur is bigger than it ever was,” Glannan said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
Like all of us, she was straining to listen, to make some sense out of the murmur of voices we could all hear on the other side of that door.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
“So good,” Chip murmurs, his eyes rolling back.
From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026
The main corridor linking the two golden shrines and the surrounding alleyways were once alive with the murmurs of tourists walking to prayers.
From Barron's ● May 4, 2026
Albeit there were some murmurs of discontent at the choice of pre-match music.
From BBC ● Feb. 15, 2026
Concerns about the relative impact of boxers and briefs on fertility, for instance, have given way to today’s murmurs about plastic, testosterone and population rates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026
Crick murmurs a yes a few moments later.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
Come for the many murmured quotes, stay for some top-notch literary analysis.
From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2026
Daphne and Eddie magnanimously turn the other cheek and then go back to lavishing one another with murmured compliments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
"It's all in God's hands," she murmured, lifting her eyes upward.
From BBC ● Apr. 15, 2026
"It's the only thing that makes me forget what's going on," he murmured.
From Barron's ● Feb. 1, 2026
Witches murmured and yelled, angry and scandalized and confused all at once.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
Finally, the two states can no longer coexist, and she retreats permanently into delusion, murmuring “Whoever you are” to the doctor escorting her off to an asylum.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
"Like starlings murmuring in the sky," Miller said.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2025
For many years, the broad convention has been that senior politicians who want to get near government keep their mouths diplomatically shut about the royals, aside from bland praise, or supportive quiet murmuring.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2025
Showy but intimate, talky yet supple, it’s murmuring assurances to rebut the very doubts he’s raising.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2025
Somebody’s short, wrinkled grandma stood there, eyes folded shut, hands raised with the Spirit, murmuring over and over, “We’re ready for the overcoming, Lord. We been singing for it long enough.”
From "The Rock and the River" by Kekla Magoon
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