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
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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)
-
murmurs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
murmured,
past participle, past
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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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"Easter, 1916" by W.B. Yeats
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"The Hunger Games" Vocabulary from Chapter 1
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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
“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
Something you accept with a paper napkin under fluorescent lighting and a murmur of gratitude.
From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2026
The first replay showed a murmur of a noise on the technology and Smith immediately started to walk from the field.
From BBC ● Nov. 22, 2025
“Pablo...,” she said as one might murmur a prayer.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
Despite occasional vague murmurs about very limited social-welfare reforms, Mr. Burnham doesn’t sound like a politician who intends to shrink the rolls and push more adults back into work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
In these murmurs, Ullom wonders how much modern technology has led us astray.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
“So good,” Chip murmurs, his eyes rolling back.
From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026
Each new alarm like this elicits anxieties and murmurs that souring private credit is about to become the new subprime mortgage crisis.
From Barron's ● May 30, 2026
As the houseguests packed and departed—many of them doing so that very night—Ophie, along with the ghosts of the house, listened to their whispers and murmurs.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
He then put his hands together, bowed slightly and murmured, “Go in grace.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 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
I went straight to hospital, was put on an IV drip and transferred to another hospital where I had to stay overnight, while doctors murmured about a serious infection and me having to sign waivers.
From BBC ● Dec. 2, 2025
“Of course I did not find them in Switzerland, for they were not there,” he murmured.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
On many songs, including “American Girls” and “Taste Back,” Mr. Styles sings the first verse or two in a murmuring low register, his voice drenched in reverb.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026
"Like starlings murmuring in the sky," Miller said.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2025
People kept stopping to talk to him, although they mostly made small murmuring noises, like the fake brook that runs through a suburban shopping center.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 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
Marlena steps out in front of him, clicking and murmuring.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
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.
