rumor
AmericanUsage
What does rumor mean? A rumor is a story or statement that is being passed around without confirmation that the information is true, as in I heard a rumor about a new superhero movie. Rumor can also mean general hearsay, as in You shouldn’t put much faith in rumor and speculation. As a verb, rumor means to spread or report rumors. When used this way, it is usually accompanied by the thing that is a rumor, as in It has been rumored that Disney is building a new amusement park outside the city. While rumor does mean the information hasn’t been checked, it is still possible for it to be true. For this reason, rumor may not always be able to be used as a synonym for words like lie, falsehood, nonsense, or fiction. In British English, rumor is often spelled as rumour. A person who loves spreading rumors is called a rumormonger. Example: My gossipy neighbor loves spreading ridiculous rumors all over town.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of rumor
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English rumour, from Middle French, from Latin rūmor; akin to Sanskrit rāuti, rāvati “(he) cries”
Explanation
A rumor is a story which may not be true. Everyone may be talking about the rap superstar who stopped for ice cream in your town, but until there's proof that it really happened, the whole thing is just a rumor. Are rumors ever true? Of course — sometimes word gets out ahead of time, like when a student overhears teachers talking about the early dismissal before it is announced. When the school closes early, the rumor is confirmed. But many other rumors can never be confirmed, so they stay just that, rumors. True, false, semi-true: who knows? The Latin word rumorem, or noise, is the origin; noise is often all that a rumor is.
Vocabulary lists containing rumor
Bridge to Terabithia
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Schooled
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"So You're Going to Mars"
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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:
Unlike Simpson’s case, which ended in acquittals, the kidnapping attracted a new generation of amateur sleuths, livestreaming hours of content, conjecture and rumor each day to hundreds of thousands of online followers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
The move is likely a case of “buy on the rumor, sell on the news,” according to Gene Munster, managing partner at Deepwater Asset Management.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
In other words, today was a classic case of, “Buy the rumor, sell the news.”
From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026
There was a rumor I was on her album, but I’m not — I’m excited to hear it, all!
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
Another rumor circulating in the streets of Philadelphia caught Jefferson’s ear: Washington had leaked the news that he opposed Adams’s foreign policy.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
There were rumors throughout the summer of 2025 about Bishop Montgomery turning the other cheek, and sure enough, they were correct.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
Residents spent months piecing together the rumors and clues that float through a small town.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
“No wonder rumors & disinformation spread here like black mold.”
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
Investors are also expecting the earnings report to shed light on a few recent rumors.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
For months, Mom had been telling me about rumors that Finkle workers would be laid off.
From "The Million Dollar Shot" by Dan Gutman
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.
