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 See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Fields enjoyed his public profile, not shying away from the attention-getting pushback, particularly when a client was the subject of rumor and innuendo. Ted Johnson, Variety, 8 Aug. 2022 Despite the 2016 peace accord with the FARC, many of the fault lines of the conflict remain, which has been supercharged by social media, allowing rumor and misinformation to fly.New York Times, 20 June 2022 True-crime podcasts steeped in rumor and conjecture aren't much use for police, but a podcast about the cold case of Kristin Smart helped investigators gain a new perspective on the case. Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY, 6 June 2022 The scene is contemporary, but the atmosphere is unmistakably gothic; events here have a mythic quality, and hearsay, rumor, and gossip, filtered through the narrative voice, are our only access to the ambiguous truths of these lives.The New Yorker, 2 May 2022 Facebook does not comment on rumor or speculation, a company spokesperson said in response to a question about the potential name change. Cnn Business, CNN, 20 Oct. 2021 Also, virtually every other rumor and report points to a similar design. Jacob Siegal, BGR, 18 Aug. 2021 The Hollywood rumor mill suggests that the series is scheduled for 3 to 4 seasons, meaning directors would likely have 30 to 40 episodes to allow the drama to unfold. Zack Jones, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 By directly citing Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios as a model for DC’s future in the earnings call, Zaslav threw more fuel onto an already raging rumor mill over who could get the job. Brent Lang, Variety, 11 Aug. 2022
Verb
Journalists too must step up, avoiding false equivalency or both-sides-ism; there is no need to give equal time to rumor mongers or conspiracy theorists simply to appear balanced. Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 5 Jan. 2021 Contrary to rumor, there have been no evacuations ordered. Julie Jag, The Salt Lake Tribune, 13 Sep. 2020 Medvedev’s job had long been rumored to be at risk as Russia’s economy stagnated and wages shrank for five years running, helping to erode Putin’s popularity. Jake Rudnitsky, Bloomberg.com, 29 Apr. 2020 Patterson, originally out of Canada, has long been rumored to be an Oregon lean and his commitment would continue a long line of top-flight Canadian prospects winding up in Eugene.oregonlive.com, 18 Aug. 2019 The lone exception might be five-star center Moussa Cisse, who has widely been rumored to be planning a move to the 2020 class, but Kentucky is believed to be trailing other schools in his recruitment. Jon Hale, The Courier-Journal, 15 May 2020 The exact way forward is not yet clear, but Volkswagen, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and Tesla have all announced or are rumored to be restarting production this week or next. Sebastian Blanco, Car and Driver, 27 Apr. 2020 Some members of the national media criticized the credentials of those rumored to be joining a second White House task force focused on reopening the American economy after the coronavirus pandemic. Dominick Mastrangelo, Washington Examiner, 13 Apr. 2020 The Coleman deal was of keen interest to the Bruins, who were rumored to have bids in for him in recent days. Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Feb. 2020 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English rumour, from Anglo-French, from Latin rumor clamor, gossip; akin to Old English rēon to lament, Sanskrit rauti he roars