rumor

noun ru·mor \ ˈrü-mər \

|Updated on: 13 Jul 2018

Examples: rumor in a Sentence

Definition of rumor

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

See rumor defined for English-language learners

See rumor defined for kids

Examples of rumor in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of rumor from the Web

Bieber dated Selena Gomez from 2010 to 2012 and sparked rumors of reconciliation in October 2017.

— stephanie petit, PEOPLE.com, "Watch Newly Engaged Couple Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin Meet for the First Time Back in 2009," 9 July 2018
Seeking to offer reassurances and quash rumors of dire conditions, the Harris County Sheriff's Office on Sunday took to Twitter to explain.

— keri blakinger, Houston Chronicle, "Water problems at jail to be fixed Monday," 9 July 2018
Likewise, rumors of Google testing the waters in the console world have been around for almost the company's entire tenure in tech.

— julie muncy, WIRED, "Can Google Really Launch a Viable Videogame Platform?," 7 July 2018
Only five returned alive and rumors of cannibalism dogged them for the rest of their lives.

— Anchorage Daily News, "In ‘To the Ends of the Earth,’ an ambitious attempt to encompass era of polar exploration," 7 July 2018
There are also rumors of a third, 6.1-inch iPhone with an LCD display, which would be a more affordable, mid-range option.

— madeline buxton, refinery29.com, "Everything You Need To Know About The New iPhone Rumors," 5 July 2018
Oprah Winfrey is shutting down lingering rumors of a potential presidential run.

— stephanie nolasco, Fox News, "Oprah Winfrey rules out running for president in 2020: 'It would kill me'," 3 July 2018
Drake and Hova lay rumors of a longstanding rift to rest even though Jay paid homage to Drizzy during a 2017 show in Toronto and shouted him out on Twitter.

— michael saponara, Billboard, "JAY-Z Wonders Why George Zimmerman is Still Alive on Drake's 'Talk Up': Listen," 29 June 2018
The photo comes just days after Pete confirmed reported rumors of his engagement to Ariana.

— lauren rearick, Teen Vogue, "Ariana Grande Locks Lips With Pete Davidson on Instagram," 29 June 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of rumor

Middle English rumour, from Anglo-French, from Latin rumor clamor, gossip; akin to Old English rēon to lament, Sanskrit rauti he roars

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

rumor Synonyms

Synonyms

buzz, dish, gossip, hearsay, report, scuttlebutt, talk, tattle, word;

Related Words

tale, whisper, whispering;

hint, intimation, rumbling;

propaganda;

dirt, scandal;

rumor

verb

Definition of rumor

rumored; rumoring

transitive verb

: to tell or spread by rumor

Examples of rumor in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of rumor from the Web

That means the remaining $3 million or so were spent on everything else, including Meghan's Givenchy dress, which is rumored to have cost between $250,000 and $400,000.

— kayla keegan, Good Housekeeping, "Princess Eugenie's Wedding Will Cost a Lot, But Not Nearly as Much as Other Royal Nuptials," 29 June 2018
In the time since the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star was first rumored to be dating the NBA player at the end of May, the new couple has been spending more time together in her hometown of Los Angeles — including at Simmons’ swanky new pad.

— natalie stone, PEOPLE.com, "Kendall Jenner and NBA Player Ben Simmons 'Seem a Bit More Serious,' Source Says," 29 June 2018
The competition was held on a field Honus Wagner is rumored to have played some baseball on in a Catskills mountain town called Fleischmanns.

— peter meehan, Bon Appetit, "Entering a National Barbecue Competition Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time," 4 June 2018
Verdict: Plausible and likely As if being an exceptionally handsome, talented, successful actor wasn't enough, Idris Elba is rumored to have added a new accolade to his resume on May 19th—royal DJ.

— lauren hubbard, Town & Country, "The Truth About the Royal Wedding Rumors That Everyone's Talking About," 1 June 2018
James has been signed to Nike since 2003 and is currently on a lifetime deal that is rumored to be worth more than $1 billion.

— khadrice rollins, SI.com, "Watch: New Nike Commercial Shows LeBron James Going to Get 'Chosen 1' Tattoo," 30 May 2018
Shawn is also friends with Liam’s former bandmate Niall Horan; the two have jammed together and were rumored to be collaborating.

— kara nesvig, Teen Vogue, "Liam Payne Says He Checked in on Shawn Mendes About the Pressures of Fame," 16 May 2018
The Spice Girls, however, have reportedly been invited and are rumored to be performing.

— constance grady, Vox, "13 questions about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s big day, asked and answered.," 11 May 2018
As early as December, when Frank Vogel still was the Magic’s coach, the Magic were rumored to have significant interest in Raptors G-League coach Jerry Stackhouse.

— josh robbins, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Raptors fire Dwane Casey in move that could impact Magic," 11 May 2018

First Known Use of rumor

1548

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

rumor Synonyms

Synonyms

bruit (about), circulate, noise (about or abroad), whisper;

Related Words

bandy (about), blab, gossip, tattle;

bare, disclose, divulge, expose, let on (about), report, reveal, spill, tell;

hint, imply, insinuate, intimate, suggest;

broadcast, proclaim, propagate, publicize, spread;

RUMOR Defined for English Language Learners

rumor

noun

Definition of rumor for English Language Learners

: information or a story that is passed from person to person but has not been proven to be true

RUMOR Defined for Kids

rumor

noun ru·mor \ ˈrü-mər \

Definition of rumor for Students

: information or a story that is passed from one person to another but has not been proven to be true and has no known source

rumor

verb

Definition of rumor for Students

rumored; rumoring

: to spread information or a story that has not been proven to be true

Learn More about rumor

See words that rhyme with rumor Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for rumor Spanish Central: Translation of rumor Nglish: Translation of rumor for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of rumor for Arabic speakers

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rumor

Definition of rumor

Examples of rumor in a Sentence

Recent Examples of rumor from the Web

Origin and Etymology of rumor

rumor Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

rumor

Definition of rumor

Examples of rumor in a Sentence

Recent Examples of rumor from the Web

First Known Use of rumor

rumor Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

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RUMOR Defined for English Language Learners

rumor

Definition of rumor for English Language Learners

RUMOR Defined for Kids

rumor

Definition of rumor for Students

rumor

Definition of rumor for Students

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