murmur

noun

mur·mur | \ ˈmər-mər

Definition of murmur

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a half-suppressed or muttered complaint : grumbling murmurs of disapproval

2a : a low indistinct but often continuous sound a murmur of voices the murmur of the waves along the shore

b : a soft or gentle utterance the murmur of nannies cooing into baby carriages— Nancy Gibbs

3 : an atypical sound of the heart typically indicating a functional or structural abnormality The physician detected a heart murmur in his patient.

murmur

verb

murmured; murmuring; murmurs

Definition of murmur (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to make a murmur the breeze murmured in the pines

2 : complain, grumble

transitive verb

: to say in a murmur

Other Words from murmur Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about murmur

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Examples of murmur in a Sentence

Noun

the murmur of the crowd The suggestion brought murmurs of disapproval. He spoke in a murmur. They spoke to each other in murmurs. the murmur of the waves along the shore

Verb

He murmured something about having to get home. “Thank you,” she murmured as she left the room. The breeze murmured in the pines.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Visiting his son in prison, Leo is at his silken ease delivering the barest murmur of regret over Jack’s arrest for his mother’s murder, and noting that his crime was, of course, not surprising, given his delinquent nature. — Dorothy Rabinowitz, WSJ, "‘Ordeal by Innocence’ Review: A Suspect in the Family," 9 Aug. 2018 On top of that, there are murmurs of new Macs, too. — Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, "“There’s more in the making”—Apple announces October 30 event," 18 Oct. 2018 On the hardware level, strange behavior would be like trying to detect a heart murmur. — Ashley Carman, The Verge, "Chinese spy chips would be a ‘god-mode’ hack, experts say," 4 Oct. 2018 The resounding click-clack muffles the murmur of anticipation as the train inches up the wooden structure. — Matt Blitz, Popular Mechanics, "From Death Traps to Disneyland: The 600-Year History of the Roller Coaster," 13 Aug. 2018 LeBron's commitment could make Paul George's decision easier, although there are recent murmurs that OKC could keep PG. — Andrew Sharp, SI.com, "Trusting the Lakers' Process in NBA Free Agency," 26 June 2018 On Thursday, the murmur increased a few decibels, when Nick Williams made some on-the-record comments that left little doubt about his disenchantment with his current playing time. — David Murphy, Philly.com, "Do the Phillies really have enough at-bats to go around Gabe Kapler's lineup? | David Murphy," 6 Apr. 2018 That the youthquake may have been a murmur should be little comfort to the Conservatives. — The Economist, "A not-so-youthful rebellionThe myth of the “youthquake” of 2017," 3 Feb. 2018 In a cramped bedroom down the hall, Ansari’s wife, Nusrat, 42, spoke in a murmur. — Pamela Constable, Washington Post, "In Pakistan, the rape and killing of a 7-year-old girl is changing a culture of shame and indifference," 20 Jan. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Heck asked these questions loudly in a teardown video last week, all while murmuring about how the NGM's innards seemed easy enough to reconfigure as a handheld system. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Hacker Ben Heck is back to fix the flawed Neo-Geo Mini," 20 Nov. 2018 There wasn’t an after-party scheduled for the evening but with outlaw antics fresh on guests’ minds, plans to grab late-night dinner and drinks were murmured throughout the theater. — Lauren Sanchez, Vogue, "Robert Redford Thanks Blake Lively and Charms Guests at Last Night’s Premiere for The Old Man & the Gun," 21 Sep. 2018 The staffers were in the zone, quietly murmuring to themselves. — Constance Grady, Vox, "Being a librarian used to be considered too dangerous a profession for women," 11 Aug. 2018 The lobby murmurs with electricity, the First Lady dolls stare expectantly from behind their glass. — Leslie Kendall Dye, Longreads, "City on a Hill," 23 June 2018 There are no traces of the meadows, or the woodland murmurs the libretto refers to. — Anthony Tommasini, New York Times, "Review: A Conductor Delivers a Magnificent ‘Parsifal’ at the Met," 6 Feb. 2018 The local Taliban leader, Ghulam Sakhi, murmured a few words about obeying the orders of the group’s national leader, then brought his teenage son to the floor. — Washington Post, "Taliban leaders reject Afghan government’s proposed cease-fire extension," 18 June 2018 The tables had tablecloths, the lights were dim, music murmured from the walls and there were no drinks on the house. — Bill Savage, Chicago Reader, "Arts / Books / Booze / Food & Drink Can a Division Street cocktail bar truly capture the spirit of Nelson Algren?," 13 June 2018 Wittig said, as those in the audience murmured in agreement. — Amy Lavalley, Post-Tribune, "Proposed U.S. Steel consent decree brings questions from environmentalists," 24 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'murmur.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.