murmur
[ mur-mer ]
/ ˈmɜr mər /
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noun
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
to sound by murmurs.
to utter in a low tone: He murmured a threat as he left the room.
OTHER WORDS FOR murmur
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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
synonym study for murmur
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 WORDS FROM murmur
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use murmur in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for murmur
murmur
/ (ˈmɜːmə) /
noun
a continuous low indistinct sound, as of distant voices
an indistinct utterancea murmur of satisfaction
a complaint; grumblehe made no murmur at my suggestion
med any abnormal soft blowing sound heard within the body, usually over the chestSee also heart murmur
verb -murs, -muring or -mured
to utter (something) in a murmur
(intr) to complain in a murmur
Derived forms of murmur
murmurer, nounmurmuring, noun, adjectivemurmuringly, adverbmurmurous, adjectiveWord Origin for murmur
C14: as n, from Latin murmur; vb via Old French murmurer from Latin murmurāre to rumble
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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