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:
Dozens of world leaders were discussing how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in a videoconference on Friday when a murmur went up among the presidents and prime ministers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
Something you accept with a paper napkin under fluorescent lighting and a murmur of gratitude.
From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2026
In 2018, during another hospital visit, doctors detected a heart murmur.
From BBC ● Dec. 13, 2025
The murmur, though, appeared to come after the ball had passed Smith's bat.
From BBC ● Nov. 22, 2025
It’s only a low murmur through the wall now.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
“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
With time on his hands, and having already heard murmurs about a gifted boy from Bihar, Naidu headed to another match being played simultaneously.
From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2026
“What is he?” murmurs one grey shadow of my forefathers to the other.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026
“Entrance is in the carport,” G’ma murmurs without pulling her eyes away.
From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone
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 the only thing that makes me forget what's going on," he murmured.
From Barron's ● Feb. 1, 2026
She pulled her daughter close and murmured a small prayer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 12, 2025
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
“Stay here. Sleep,” Rosa murmured, stroking Nhamo’s forehead.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
A murmuring, echoing chorus of the dead surrounds the central platform; they wear brilliantly colored, Mexican-inspired costumes designed by Mr. Bausor and Wilberth Gonzalez.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 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
At every ceremony I attended, there was at least one person in the crowd murmuring about how the thousands of dollars spent could be better used for developing the town or funding scholarships.
From BBC ● Jan. 1, 2025
When she woke up in the night, she could hear the baboons murmuring among themselves on their rocky perches.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
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.
