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
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.
Among her friends there are whispers that she comes from European royalty, “a rumor Honor did nothing to dispel.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
Among the names the rumor mill has coalesced around at one time or another are Idris Elba, Tom Holland, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jacob Elordi and Callum Turner.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
Of course, gains of that magnitude mean that investors may be concerned that this is a case of “Buy the rumor, sell the news” ahead of the company’s coming fiscal fourth-quarter results, slated for June.
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
In a long-standing rumor, Sid and Marty were said to be fifth-generation puppeteers.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
Not a hint or rumor in two hundred years, and now Tizerkane warriors were riding through the gates of the Great Library.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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.
