murmur

[mur-mer]

noun

1. a low, continuous sound, as of a brook, the wind, or trees, or of low, indistinct voices.

   Synonyms: mumble, susurration, grumble, mutter, complaint

2. a mumbled or private expression of discontent.

3. Also called heart murmur. Medicine/Medical.

   1. an abnormal sound heard on listening to the heart, usually through a stethoscope, produced by the blood passing through deformed cardiac valves.

   2. in some persons a similar sound heard when blood passes through normal valves.

4. 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)

1. to make a low or indistinct sound, especially continuously.

2. to speak in a low tone or indistinctly.

3. to complain in a low tone or in private.

   Synonyms: grouse

verb (used with object)

1. to sound by murmurs.

2. to utter in a low tone.

   He murmured a threat as he left the room.

murmur

/ ˈmɜːmə /

noun

1. a continuous low indistinct sound, as of distant voices

2. an indistinct utterance

   a murmur of satisfaction

3. a complaint; grumble

   he made no murmur at my suggestion

4. med any abnormal soft blowing sound heard within the body, usually over the chest See also heart murmur

verb

1. to utter (something) in a murmur

2. (intr) to complain in a murmur

Other Word Forms

• murmurer noun
• murmurless adjective
• murmurlessly adverb
• unmurmured adjective
• unmurmuring adjective
• unmurmuringly adverb
• murmuring noun
• murmurous adjective
• murmuringly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of murmur¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of murmur¹

C14: as n, from Latin murmur; vb via Old French murmurer from Latin murmurāre to rumble

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

The first replay showed a murmur of a noise on the technology and Smith immediately started to walk from the field.

Read more on BBC

I’ll pause here for general gasping and shrieking, and murmurs of, “Wait, there’s a dividend?”

Read more on Barron's

It speaks volumes that, when Lawrence Shankland - the Scottish Premiership's top goalscorer this season - was turned to in the 64th minute as the Scots searched for a goal, it was met with murmurs of surprise.

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Solemnly the children would bring the envelope to Mrs. Clarke, who would pat each of them on the cheek and murmur, “Ah, Miss Lumley! I hope she’s getting on all right, poor thing!”

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“I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him,” Penelope murmured under her breath.

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Related Words

• babble 
• burble 
• growl 
• gurgle 
• hum 
• moan 
• mumble 
• mutter 
• purr 
• stammer 
• utter 
• whisper 

When To Use

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.