rumor

especially British, ru·mour

[roo-mer]

noun

1. a story or statement in general circulation without confirmation or certainty as to facts.

   a rumor of war.

   Synonyms: report

2. gossip; hearsay.

   Don't listen to rumor.

3. Archaic.,  a continuous, confused noise; clamor; din.

verb (used with object)

1. to circulate, report, or assert by a rumor.

   It is rumored that the king is dead.

Other Word Forms

• unrumored adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rumor¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English rumour, from Middle French, from Latin rūmor; akin to Sanskrit rāuti, rāvati “(he) cries”

Example Sentences

“I neither confirm nor deny rumors that involve the tactics of the campaign,” Munger told reporters.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Asked if he wanted to address rumors about his personal life, he responded with five long seconds of silence.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

If the rumors about a rivalry are true, you can score this one for the British singer, as her song is thrilling and this one is plodding and forgettable.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Nuuk’s new airport has been so understaffed that it sparked rumors all the screeners went hunting.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

An AES spokesperson said the company would not respond to “rumors in the marketplace.”

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• comment 
• fabrication 
• falsehood 
• gossip 
• hearsay 
• hoax 
• innuendo 
• lie 
• news 
• report 
• scandal 
• story 
• suggestion 
• tale 
• whisper 
• word 

When To Use

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.