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.
Clement’s lawyer said in a statement that the report found against her “on the pretext of ‘perception,’ the source of which was rumour, gossip and innuendo.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
"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
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
The Orcs upon the Rock, hearing the rumour of dismay, wavered and looked back.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
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.
