rumbling

American

[ruhm-bling] / ˈrʌm blɪŋ /

noun

Often rumblings. the first signs of dissatisfaction or grievance.
rumble.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

rumblings

plural

Etymology

Origin of rumbling

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at rumble, -ing ¹

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.

But if these rumbling premonitions have remained true across multiple eras of an ever-evolving media landscape, have we really learned anything?

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2026

Its internal speaker plays a rumbling soundtrack that sends the drumsticks attached to the instrument flittering, giving the sense of a ghostly presence tapping out a brooding dirge.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

Thousands of metres beneath the ground, amid suffocating heat, lies one of the keys to Poland's rumbling mining sector -- and the world economy.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

There was a deep rumbling as a sheet of brilliant white flame suddenly erupted, momentarily engulfing the whole launch pad as the mightiest rocket Nasa has ever built rose into the sky.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

It felt as if a volcano was rumbling below us all.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023