rumble
Americanverb (used without object)
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rumbles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
rumbled,
past participle, past
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rumbling
present participle
verb (used with object)
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rumbles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
rumbled,
past participle, past
-
rumbling
present participle
-
to give forth or utter with a rumbling sound.
to rumble a command.
-
to cause to make or move with a rumbling sound.
to rumble a wagon over the ground.
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to subject to the action of a rumble or tumbling box, as for the purpose of polishing.
noun
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rumbles
plural
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a deep, heavy, somewhat muffled, continuous sound.
the rumble of tanks across a bridge.
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a rear part of a carriage containing seating accommodations, as for servants, or space for baggage.
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a tumbling box.
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Slang. a street fight between rival teenage gangs.
verb
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to make or cause to make a deep resonant sound
thunder rumbled in the sky
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to move with such a sound
the train rumbled along
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(tr) to utter with a rumbling sound
he rumbled an order
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(tr) to tumble (metal components, gemstones, etc) in a barrel of smooth stone in order to polish them
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informal (tr) to find out about (someone or something); discover (something)
the police rumbled their plans
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slang (intr) to be involved in a gang fight
noun
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a deep resonant sound
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a widespread murmur of discontent
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another name for tumbler
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slang a gang fight
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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rumblesimple
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rumblessimple
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have rumbledperfect
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has rumbledperfect
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am rumblingprogressive
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are rumblingprogressive
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is rumblingprogressive
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have been rumblingperfect progressive
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has been rumblingperfect progressive
Past
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rumbledsimple
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had rumbledperfect
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was rumblingprogressive
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were rumblingprogressive
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had been rumblingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of rumble
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English verb romblen, rumblen; compare Dutch rommelen, probably imitative of the sound; 1940–45 rumble for def. 3
Explanation
Are you ready to rumble? To rumble is to throw down, or fight. If you hear a truck rumble down your street, don’t put up your dukes — to rumble also means to make a low, deep sound. Thunder rumbles just before you see lightning flash, and dogs sometimes rumble a low warning growl when they see someone unfamiliar. As a noun, rumble can mean "a low sound," “a seat in the back of a carriage” (the rumble seat) or " a street fight." It's a little old fashioned today to call a gang brawl a rumble, but if you've ever seen the movie "West Side Story," you've seen the rumble between the Jets and the Sharks.
Vocabulary lists containing rumble
The Outsiders
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Game Changer
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"A Contest of Riddles"
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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:
The volcano's sustained explosive activity weakened on September 6, although Anak Krakatau continued to rumble.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
Now the constant rumble of construction machinery has been replaced by a steady stream of vans and golf carts ferrying people to and from the paddock for this weekend's races.
From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026
McKinney isn’t just a rumble for Angler of the Year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
Kids who grew up near those hills remember the rumble and roar of Rocketdyne testing another rocket engine and the cloudbanks of smoke from the test firings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
On Sunday morning I am woken up by a rumble of thunder and Boomer—who hates thunderstorms—inching closer to me in bed.
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
And a split-second later the crowd saw it, too — their quiet rumbles rising to a thrilling roar, as if they knew what was coming next.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
In summer 2024, there were rumbles that Germany would sell down part of its then 16.5% stake.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
In Tottenham, he performs alongside videos of his old friend on a version of Feel Good Inc that rumbles like a juggernaut.
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026
As the first-quarter earnings season rumbles on, those lofty expectations have looked justified so far: The pace of earnings growth reported by firms so far has dramatically surpassed analysts’ expectations.
From MarketWatch ● May 3, 2026
A warm breeze floats in through the open truck window, carrying with it the scent of fresh bread, fire-roasted tomatoes, and Lady Rizzo’s famous Parmesan-basil-garlic sauce, and my stomach rumbles.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
The S&P 500 has seen its multiple slide even as the broad index has rumbled to new highs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
In understanding how Bancroft was rumbled, a little knowledge of how live cricket is shown on TV is helpful.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
“In a low energy 24 hours the Middle East story has rumbled on as concerns about fresh US-Iran hostilities pushed oil prices higher still,” Deutsche Bank’s Jim Reid wrote in a Tuesday note.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
As the rocket rumbled along the Space Coast, nerves turned into catharsis for JPL scientists and engineers looking on.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
A peal of thunder rumbled in the distance.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
The crack of the bat echoed the thunder that had been rumbling outside of the roofed ballpark for much of the afternoon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
Talk of City signing Bouaddi has been rumbling all summer, and the club have reportedly held talks with the Moroccan,, external who would cost an estimated £85m.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
So when a calf disappeared into the tall grass recently, he roamed among the herd making low, rumbling grunts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
Car companies boast it’s exactly what modern buyers crave: More iPhone on wheels, less rumbling, mechanical machine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
As she watched them play, she heard the rumbling of approaching vehicles.
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
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.
