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murmur

[ mur-mer ]
/ ˈmɜr mər /
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See synonyms for: murmur / murmured / murmuring / murmurer on Thesaurus.com

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.
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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, adjective

Word 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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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