murmur 1 of 2

noun

ˈmər-mər How to pronounce murmur (audio)
Definition of murmurnext
1
as in whine
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment finished the tedious job without a murmur

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in muttering
speech that is not clear enough to be understood could just barely hear the murmurs of the audience

Synonyms & Similar Words

murmur

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely no prisoner dared murmur out loud

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to mutter
to speak softly and unclearly a college professor who tends to murmur

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of murmur
Noun
Happy murmurs moved through the room whenever the Tour passed a place someone recognised, turning the stage into a shared travelogue. — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 15 July 2026 Loud talking or splashing can disturb other bathers, so just slip into the water and keep your conversations to a murmur. — Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 4 July 2026
Verb
There are also murmurs about the US government wanting a stake in the company. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 11 June 2026 Alejo listens carefully, occasionally offering a tissue or murmuring consolations. — Megan Greenwell, Bloomberg, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for murmur
Recent Examples of Synonyms for murmur
  1. whine
  2. muttering
  3. complain
  4. mutter
  5. complaint
  6. whisper
  7. scream
  8. mumble
Noun
  • Meanwhile, turbo noise fills the cabin alongside the odd electric motor whine.
    — Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • That is, until you are subjected to the relentless whine of mosquitoes.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 30 June 2026
Definition of whine
Noun
  • The opportunity to send a raucous Bell Centre crowd home muttering was there in Game 3.
    — Eduardo A. Encina, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
Definition of muttering
Verb
  • Meanwhile top women’s seed Aryna Sabalenka complained when the smell of marijuana wafted from crowd to court.
    — Greg Cote September 6, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Influencers, along with other fans, have interrupted matches and top player Aryna Sabalenka complained about the smell of marijuana during a match.
    — Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of complain
Verb
  • The tourists mutter in disbelief before the driver of the bus heads down the street to the next haunted stop.
    — Sonjirose Chin, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026
  • When John finally reunites with Hal (who charges the ring against the lantern while quickly muttering his oath), the frustrated protégé immediately confronts his teacher with all the suspicions he was meant to keep secret.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of mutter
Noun
  • The Wisconsin Elections Commission referred two complaints to the Brown County district attorney's office, paving the way for prosecutors to decide if Musk should be charged.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The lawsuit is a class-action complaint that seeks to represent Amazon workers throughout the US.
    — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of complaint
Noun
  • Moore begins with a whisper and builds to a roar as Mona improvises a manic rant that involves rats and the plague.
    — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Engineered around Qualcomm’s flagship 12-core Snapdragon X Elite processor, this Surface laptop delivers exceptional processing speed with whisper-quiet thermal efficiency.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of whisper
Verb
  • Hathaway screams into a walkie talkie, encouraging them to jump out of the building.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Then, as the sparks fly behind him and the crowd screams in astonishment, the throat-busting roar of triumph.
    — Rob Tanner, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of scream
Verb
  • The convex-concave curves of the open and closed parentheses cup something said by the way, whisperings, secrets mouthed into the reader’s ear, mumbled under the author’s breath.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Later that day, Rowley was drenched in sweat, rocking back and forth and mumbling incoherently as the poison – later identified as Novichok, a Russian nerve agent – took hold of him, too.
    — Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
Definition of mumble

Browse Nearby Words

murky
murmur
murmured
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Murmur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/murmur. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on murmur

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about murmur

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shofar

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All