rumor

noun

ru·mor | \ ˈrü-mər

Definition of rumor

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : talk or opinion widely disseminated with no discernible source

2 : a statement or report current without known authority for its truth

3 archaic : talk or report of a notable person or event

4 : a soft low indistinct sound : murmur

rumor

verb

rumored; rumoring

Definition of rumor (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to tell or spread by rumor

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about rumor

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Examples of rumor in a Sentence

Noun

There are rumors that they are making a new film. She accused him of starting rumors about her. Ever since his sudden resignation, rumors have been flying. I heard a rumor that they broke up. “Did you hear that they broke up?” “That's just a rumor.” The rumor turned out to be false. You can't fire him solely based on rumor. Rumor has it that they broke up.

Verb

for years people have been rumoring the CEO's imminent retirement

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Female celebrities are constantly dodging pregnancy rumors. — Elise Taylor, Vogue, "The Deeper Meaning Behind Justin and Hailey Bieber’s Fake-Pregnancy Joke," 1 Apr. 2019 Bieber and Gomez first kicked off romance rumors in 2010 and dated on and off for years. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Justin Bieber Says He Loves Selena Gomez While Defending His Marriage to Hailey Baldwin," 26 Mar. 2019 Recently, both engagement and cheating rumors have been circulating. — Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, "Everything You Need to Know About All of Kylie Jenner's Ex-Boyfriends," 20 Mar. 2019 There’s even a rumor that the idea was floated to paint The Reef a pale yellow to appear less austere. — Steven Stolman, House Beautiful, "This Delightfully Retro Apartment Complex Has Been Home to Design Royalty," 6 Mar. 2019 Fans at the time took this as Kardashian confirming the rumor. — Krystin Arneson, Glamour, "Everything Khloé Kardashian Has Said About the Tristan Thompson Cheating Scandal," 17 Mar. 2019 Lady Gaga took to Twitter last night to set the record straight about the pregnancy rumors surrounding her. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Lady Gaga Responds to Pregnancy Rumors in the Best Way," 13 Mar. 2019 The disassembly team went to great lengths to confirm the rumor that this was the final NES version of the game Nintendo had ever developed. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "You can now download the long-lost (and unfinished) SimCity NES port," 26 Dec. 2018 The rumors for the Galaxy S10 have also started in earnest, with reports speculating that Samsung will release three variations of the phone in the spring, plus a 5G phone and the foldable device. — Dan Seifert, The Verge, "The Verge 2018 tech report card: Samsung," 26 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

While it had been rumored that Mulroney would play a role in the wedding party, Meghan did not have a maid of honor. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Meet Meghan Markle's Best Friend Jessica Mulroney," 20 Feb. 2019 On Saturday, the president announced that Chief of Staff John Kelly, who it is rumored has not spoken to Trump in months, is flying the WH coop at the end of the year. — Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, "Reading Between the Lines of the Mueller Investigation Filings," 9 Dec. 2018 Uniqlo didn't release specifics of the contract, but it's rumored that the deal is worth $300 million and will run for over 10 years. — Cam Wolf, GQ, "Roger Federer Officially Leaves Nike for Uniqlo," 2 July 2018 Oglesbee remembered of the Dairy Queen, where it was rumored a woman once had given birth on the table. — Emily Foxhall, San Antonio Express-News, "In parts of small-town Texas, the Dairy Queen is closing up," 27 June 2018 Long rumored to be dating, the two made their first public appearance, strolling into the art museum’s hallowed halls as cameras snapped away. — Vogue, "Who Is Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Beatrice’s Rumored Boyfriend?," 18 Mar. 2019 The Lady Gaga-Bradley Cooper rumors just won't die, and this latest one really takes the cake. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "Lady Gaga Just Hit Back at Pregnancy Rumors With an Even Bigger Announcement," 13 Mar. 2019 The Lady Gaga-Bradley Cooper rumors just won't die, and this latest one really takes the cake. — Christopher Rosa, Allure, "Lady Gaga Slams Pregnancy Rumors, and Then Announces New Music," 13 Mar. 2019 According to Entertainment Tonight, Pete and Kate’s rumored relationship reportedly began at a Golden Globes after-party, after which they were spotted on several dates in the Los Angeles area. — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "Pete Davidson Addresses Kate Beckinsale Relationship Rumors on "Saturday Night Live"," 10 Mar. 2019

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