rumor

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rumor

/ˈɹuːmə/ UK
/ˈɹʉwmə/ British, Southern, Standard
/ˈɹumɚ/ US
/ˈɹʉːmə/ Australia, New Zealand
/ˈɾɪʊmə/ Wales
/ˈɾʉməɾ/ Scotland
/ˈɻʉməɻ/ Northern Ireland

Rhymes with -uːmə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

From Middle English rumour, from Old French rumeur, from Latin rūmor (“common talk”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃rewH- (“to shout, to roar”).

noun rumors · rumour

US, countable A statement or claim of questionable accuracy, from no known reliable source, usually spread by word of mouth. There's a rumor going round that he's going to get married.
Similar: word, gossip, hearsay, talk, tittle-tattle
US, uncountable Information or misinformation of the kind contained in such claims. They say he used to be a thief, but that's just rumor.
Similar: noise
US, archaic, uncountable Report, news, information in general. It stands a city aloof. There hath been no rumour of it—I alone have dreamed of it, and I may not be sure that my dreams are true.
US, obsolete, uncountable Fame, reputation.
US, obsolete, uncountable Clamor, din, outcry.

verb rumors · rumoring · rumored · rumour

US, transitive, usually, used in the passive voice To tell a rumor about; to gossip. John is rumored to be next in line for a promotion.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: bruit, hearsay, rumour, gossip, chatter, whisper, talk, noise, misinformation, buzz, say, tell, spread, story, fabrication, common

noun

Translations

Every language

noun uncountable: information

Español	rumorología, habladurías
日本語	噂 uwasa
Português	rumor, boato
Deutsch	Gerüchte, Gerede
Ελληνικά	φήμες fímes, διαδόσεις diadóseis
Română	zvon
Русский	слу́хи slúxi, молва́ molvá

noun statement or claim from no known reliable source

Español	rumor, voz
한국어	소문 somun, 풍문 pungmun
日本語	噂 uwasa, 伝聞 denbun
中文	傳聞 /传闻 chuánwén, 傳言 /传言 chuányán
हिन्दी	अफ़वाह afvāh, अफवाह aphvāh, अफवा aphvā, गप्प gapp, प्रवाद pravād, जनश्रुति janaśruti
Português	rumor, boato
Français	rumeur, bruit
Deutsch	Gerücht
Italiano	voce, voci di corridoio
Ελληνικά	φήμη fími
Română	zvon, bârfă, rumoare
Русский	молва́ molvá, слух slux, слу́хи slúxi, то́лки tólki
Tiếng Việt	tin đồn, lời đồn
العربية	إِشَاعَة ʔišāʕa, شَائِعَة šāʔiʕa
עברית	שְׁמוּעָה shmu'á

verb Translations

Español	rumorear

Talk about this word

Cite this

MLA

"rumor." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/rumor. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

rumor. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/rumor

Chicago

"rumor." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/rumor.

BibTeX

@misc{rumor_2026,
  title = {rumor},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/rumor},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}