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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
verbmurmured; murmuring; murmurs
Definition of murmur (Entry 2 of 2)
: to say in a murmur
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Synonyms & Antonyms for murmur
Synonyms: Noun
- beef,
- bitch,
- bleat,
- carp,
- complaint,
- fuss,
- grievance,
- gripe,
- grouch,
- grouse,
- grumble,
- holler,
- kvetch,
- lament,
- miserere,
- moan,
- plaint,
- squawk,
- wail,
- whimper,
- whine,
- whinge
- [British],
- yammer
Synonyms: Verb
- beef,
- bellyache,
- bitch,
- bleat,
- carp,
- caterwaul,
- complain,
- crab,
- croak,
- fuss,
- gripe,
- grizzle,
- grouch,
- grouse,
- growl,
- grumble,
- grump,
- holler,
- inveigh,
- keen,
- kick,
- kvetch,
- maunder
- [chiefly British],
- moan,
- mutter,
- nag,
- repine,
- scream,
- squawk,
- squeal,
- wail,
- whimper,
- whine,
- whinge
- [British],
- yammer,
- yawp
- (or yaup),
- yowl
Antonyms: Verb
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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.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun At idle, the RX300's 45-decibel murmur is as hushed as an Audi A6's.
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Don Schroeder, Car and Driver, "Tested: 1998 Lexus RX300," 14 May 2020 As Woodward repeatedly interrupted the authors to ask questions or clarify facts, audible murmurs rippled through the crowd.
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BostonGlobe.com, "Bob Woodward interviewed the ‘She Said’ authors at a book event. Things got tense, and then there was heckling - The Boston Globe," 4 Oct. 2019 As Woodward repeatedly interrupted the authors to ask questions or clarify facts, audible murmurs rippled through the crowd.
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BostonGlobe.com, "Bob Woodward interviewed the ‘She Said’ authors at a book event. Things got tense, and then there was heckling - The Boston Globe," 4 Oct. 2019 But negotiations between the two countries over the $4.5 billion project have become a flash point, even stoking murmurs of war.
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Remy Tumin, New York Times, "2020 Campaign, China, the Oscars: Your Weekend Briefing," 10 Feb. 2020 At the time, Trump’s comments drew a murmur of criticism from GOP lawmakers, though most still kept quiet.
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Matt Ford, The New Republic, "Adam Schiff and the End of Implausible Deniability," 23 Jan. 2020 As Woodward repeatedly interrupted the authors to ask questions or clarify facts, audible murmurs rippled through the crowd.
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BostonGlobe.com, "Bob Woodward interviewed the ‘She Said’ authors at a book event. Things got tense, and then there was heckling - The Boston Globe," 4 Oct. 2019 As Woodward repeatedly interrupted the authors to ask questions or clarify facts, audible murmurs rippled through the crowd.
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Emily Yahr, Washington Post, "Bob Woodward interviewed the ‘She Said’ authors at a book event. Things got tense. Then there was heckling.," 3 Oct. 2019 But the data and murmurs emerging from the U.S. national security complex paint a picture of a hamstrung bureaucracy that’s as ill-prepared to protect its own people as most states are.
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Adam Weinstein, The New Republic, "The U.S. Military Can Barely Protect Itself From the Coronavirus," 1 Apr. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb On a recent day Lein stood in one of her barns as a contented chorus of 9,400 chickens clucked and murmured.
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Meg Jones, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "It wasn't just toilet paper. People stocked up on eggs during pandemic, sending wholesale prices skyrocketing," 23 Apr. 2020 Curreri murmured along quietly into his microphone, a quiet tuh tuh tuh.
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Brendan Fitzgerald, Longreads, "“I miss my body when it was ferocious” The Transfiguration of Paul Curreri," 14 Mar. 2020 Under the fluorescent light of the intensive care unit, Abudulfetah touched his baby’s soft hair, murmuring words of prayer.
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Washington Post, "US heart surgeon treats children lacking care in Libya’s war," 11 Mar. 2020 Jones, who was not in the matchday squad that day and has been a fringe player at best all season, was sat in the row behind next to veteran third choice goalkeeper Lee Grant, where he was caught on camera murmuring something under his lips.
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SI.com, "Ed Woodward Reveals What Was Really Said in Viral Clip Involving Phil Jones," 22 Oct. 2019 Passion and poetry at Tangent Gallery Sweet words of love will be murmured and sung Saturday at Tangent Gallery, which is playing host to the 33rd edition of Detroit’s EROTIC POETRY & MUSIC FESTIVAL.
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Detroit Free Press, "Detroit’s Top 10: Cool things to do this weekend and beyond, including Tattoo Expo, Autorama, Sturgill Simpson," 26 Feb. 2020 Passenger Ana Luisa Rivera can be heard murmuring a prayer in Spanish as her phone takes in the turmoil.
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oregonlive, "Videos show compassion amid tragedy of MAX train stabbings," 2 Feb. 2020 In the confusion, Adrian looked Cleo over first, murmuring to her.
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Katie Gutierrez, Longreads, "How to Predict the Unpredictable," 24 Sep. 2019 Fans murmured — or roared, in some cases — as columnists and critics posed sharp questions and players and coaching staffs changed.
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Alan Blinder, New York Times, "L.S.U. and Oklahoma Both Seek to End Title Game Droughts," 27 Dec. 2019
See MoreThese 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.
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More Definitions for murmur
murmur
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of murmur
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a low sound made when many people are speaking
: a quiet expression of an opinion or feeling
: speech or a way of speaking that is quiet and soft
murmur
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of murmur (Entry 2 of 2)
: to say (something) in a quiet and soft voice
: to make a low, continuous sound
See the full definition for murmur in the English Language Learners Dictionary
murmur
nounmur·mur | \ ˈmər-mər \
\Kids Definition of murmur
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : a low faint sound
the murmur of voices
2 : a quiet expression of an opinion or feeling
murmurs of approval
murmur
verbmurmured; murmuring
Kids Definition of murmur (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : to make a low faint sound
The breeze murmured in the trees.
2 : to say in a voice too quiet to be heard clearly
She murmured “thank you” as she left.
murmur
nounmur·mur | \ ˈmər-mər \
\Medical Definition of murmur
: an atypical sound of the heart typically indicating a functional or structural abnormality
— called also heart murmur
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Time Traveler for murmur
The first known use of murmur was in the 14th century
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