rumble

1 of 2

verb

rum·​ble ˈrəm-bəl 

rumbled; rumbling ˈrəm-b(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to make a low heavy rolling sound or series of sounds

thunder rumbling in the distance

My stomach was rumbling.

2

: to travel with a low reverberating sound

wagons rumbled into town

3

: to speak in a low rolling tone

4

US, informal + old-fashioned : to fight especially in the street

transitive verb

1

: to utter or emit in a low rolling voice

"That is a sure prophecy," rumbled a deep voice.

—Rudyard Kipling

2

British : to reveal or discover the true character of

… had long ago rumbled her … excuses.

—Zadie Smith

rumbler

ˈrəm-b(ə-)lər 

noun

rumble

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a low heavy continuous reverberating often muffled sound (as of thunder)

b

: low frequency noise in phonographic playback caused by the transmission of mechanical vibrations by the turntable to the pickup

2

: a seat for servants behind the body of a carriage

3

a

: widespread expression of dissatisfaction or unrest

b

US, informal + old-fashioned : a street fight especially among gangs

Synonyms of rumble

Verb

• growl
• grumble

Examples of rumble in a Sentence

Verb

Thunder rumbled in the distance.

The train rumbles through town twice a day.

We watched as the trucks rumbled past.

The gangs rumbled in the alley.

Noun

I was awakened by the rumble of a train passing by.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Storms could rumble back late Wednesday night into Thursday, with a few potentially severe, according to the National Weather Service. — Kansas City Star, 7 July 2026

This ground beef casserole will satisfy all the rumbling stomachs at your table. — Sheena Chihak, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 July 2026

Noun

Kids who grew up near those hills remember the rumble and roar of Rocketdyne testing another rocket engine and the cloudbanks of smoke from the test firings. — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026

The headphones are pretty good at reducing the low-end rumble from plane engine noise, and the leftover sound that passes through is mostly in the high end, which is easily ignored when audio is playing. — Christian De Looper, PC Magazine, 8 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English; akin to Middle High German rummeln to rumble

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing rumble

• rumble on
• rumble seat
• rumble strip

Rhymes for rumble

• bumble
• crumble
• fumble
• grumble
• humble
• jumble
• mumble
• stumble
• tumble
• umbel

Kids Definition

rumble

1 of 2 verb

rum·​ble ˈrəm-bəl 

rumbled; rumbling -b(ə-)liŋ 

: to make or move with a low heavy rolling sound

thunder rumbled in the distance

rumble

2 of 2 noun

: a low heavy rolling sound