murmur
Americannoun
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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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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)
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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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"Easter, 1916" by W.B. Yeats
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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:
"There are just so many moments here that could sing, yet they barely murmur," he wrote.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
Medical staff took blood tests and he was admitted for a blood transfusion to address low haemoglobin levels, as well as investigations into his heart murmur.
From BBC ● May 5, 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
It leans more mushroom than tomato, so the whole thing carries a low, woodsy murmur.
From Salon ● Mar. 11, 2026
When she saw I would not go, she grew still and lay like a log, not a murmur from her, but the sweat forcing itself up in oily drops on her throat and temples.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
“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
“What is he?” murmurs one grey shadow of my forefathers to the other.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026
Her sonic spectrum is panoramic, from esoteric folktronica murmurs and camouflaged industrial noise to the cosmic stillness of “Un Nombre Propio” and the ritualistic piano of “Las Ramas.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2025
“I missed you,” she murmurs into my hair.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
The gallery mostly follows his instructions as Maduro and Flores were led into the chamber shortly after noon, but some murmured or inhaled breath as he walked past.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Her mother murmured advice: “No one can take away what you’ve put in your own mind.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026
"It's the only thing that makes me forget what's going on," he murmured.
From Barron's ● Feb. 1, 2026
“Any of us could fall over at any minute,” another voice chimed in, drawing murmured assent.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2023
“Not Karoyi Mountain,” Baba Joseph murmured, raising his head.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
The ruminative “Third Side of the Moon” finds Brock murmuring how he wishes he’d paid closer attention to the details of a friend who is no longer with him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
This use of video—along with a murmuring choral background—makes Ana’s dream sequences, in which she tries to become part of the landscape, the most effective parts of the show.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 12, 2026
"Like starlings murmuring in the sky," Miller said.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2025
The quiet murmuring of voices from the film playing on her screen helped her to drift off on a packed overnight flight.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2025
After a few more people entered, the door to the foyer closed, and the little bit of murmuring from the black-mask wearers died down.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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.
