rumbling

noun

rum·​bling ˈrəm-b(ə-)liŋ 

1

: rumble

2

: general but unofficial talk or opinion often of dissatisfaction

—usually used in plural

… rumblings of political trouble …

—Anthony Burgess

Examples of rumbling in a Sentence

There were rumblings about rising prices.

Recent Examples on the Web

There have been rumblings of discontent among Labour Party MPs and large sections of the electorate for some time. —Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 12 May 2026

The government has methodically tightened internet censorship and established increasingly stringent controls over online activities, causing rumblings and rare public expressions of discontent. —ABC News, 9 May 2026

Back when the Big Ten decided to bloat itself from coast to coast, causing an avalanche of conference expansion, the rumblings started about a possible secession. —Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 8 May 2026

Not just any type of bus, but a marshrutka—a crowded, rumbling, claustrophobic Soviet holdover minibus, solidly built with steel girding and equally lacking in shock absorbers and seat padding. —Irene Zabytko may 7, Literary Hub, 7 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for rumbling

• bumbling
• crumbling
• fumbling
• grumbling
• humbling
• mumbling
• stumbling
• tumbling