rumour
Britishnoun
-
-
information, often a mixture of truth and untruth, passed around verbally
-
( in combination )
a rumour-monger
-
-
gossip or hearsay
-
archaic din or clamour
-
obsolete fame or reputation
verb
-
(tr; usually passive) to pass around or circulate in the form of a rumour
it is rumoured that the Queen is coming
-
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
As the rumour goes, Klopp might be done with coaching in club football, but the national team may still intrigue him.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
The Upper Bann assembly member said even as he raised concerns directly with Burrows, an "insidious campaign of rumour and gossip" was being waged against him.
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 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
‘Caradhras was called the Cruel, and had an ill name,’ said Gimli, ‘long years ago, when rumour of Sauron had not been heard in these lands.’
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" 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.
