rumour
Britishnoun
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information, often a mixture of truth and untruth, passed around verbally
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( in combination )
a rumour-monger
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gossip or hearsay
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archaic din or clamour
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obsolete fame or reputation
verb
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(tr; usually passive) to pass around or circulate in the form of a rumour
it is rumoured that the Queen is coming
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literary to make or cause to make a murmuring noise
Etymology
Origin of rumour
C14: via Old French from Latin rūmor common talk; related to Old Norse rymja to roar, Sanskrit rāut he cries
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.
"You were right to call this a rumour, to speak of speculation -- and that's why I won't comment on it," a tense-looking Stefan Kornelius responded to a journalist's question.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
As workers poured out at the end of the day, the rumour travelled fast in a busy neighbourhood.
From BBC • Feb. 15, 2026
Others are just glad the process has moved on after a period of speculation and rumour about what was happening.
From BBC • Dec. 24, 2025
They have been demined since, "but rumour has it it's still not safe," the 15-year-old said.
From Barron's • Dec. 17, 2025
It had come to his knowledge, he said, that a foolish and wicked rumour had been circulated at the time of Boxer’s removal.
From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell
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.
