rumor

especially British, ru·mour

[roo-mer]

noun

1. a story or statement in general circulation without confirmation or certainty as to facts.

   a rumor of war.

   Synonyms: report

2. gossip; hearsay.

   Don't listen to rumor.

3. Archaic.,  a continuous, confused noise; clamor; din.

verb (used with object)

1. to circulate, report, or assert by a rumor.

   It is rumored that the king is dead.

Other Word Forms

• unrumored adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rumor¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English rumour, from Middle French, from Latin rūmor; akin to Sanskrit rāuti, rāvati “(he) cries”

Example Sentences

When the series ended, there were immediate rumors of a follow-up film, but it took a few years for everyone to come back together.

From Los Angeles Times

And Space X is rumored to be investing upward of $1 billion to turn the Astrodome in Houston into its Mission Control Alpha.

From Los Angeles Times

He said all the rumors about money changing hands and school officials declining to investigate without evidence was motivation to the coaches as a unit to try to stop the rule violations.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s unclear how exactly the pregnancy rumors began.

From Los Angeles Times

A growing number of parents are deciding not to vaccinate their kids, worried over unfounded rumors about the shots.

From Salon

Related Words

• comment 
• fabrication 
• falsehood 
• gossip 
• hearsay 
• hoax 
• innuendo 
• lie 
• news 
• report 
• scandal 
• story 
• suggestion 
• tale 
• whisper 
• word 

When To Use

What does rumor mean?

A rumor is a story or statement that is being passed around without confirmation that the information is true, as in I heard a rumor about a new superhero movie.Rumor can also mean general hearsay, as in You shouldn’t put much faith in rumor and speculation. As a verb, rumor means to spread or report rumors. When used this way, it is usually accompanied by the thing that is a rumor, as in It has been rumored that Disney is building a new amusement park outside the city. While rumor does mean the information hasn’t been checked, it is still possible for it to be true. For this reason, rumor may not always be able to be used as a synonym for words like lie, falsehood, nonsense, or fiction.In British English, rumor is often spelled as rumour.A person who loves spreading rumors is called a rumormonger.Example: My gossipy neighbor loves spreading ridiculous rumors all over town.