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WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026mur•mur /ˈmɜrmɚ/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
- a low, soft, continuous sound, as of a brook or of distant voices:the murmur of the ocean waves.
- a mumbled, low, soft sound made by a person, as in complaining:She went to bed without a murmur of protest.
- Pathologyan abnormal sound heard within the body, esp. one coming from the heart valves:a heart murmur.
v.
- to make a low, soft, continuous sound:[no object]The brook murmured in the distance.
- to express in murmurs: [no object]The villagers murmured among themselves.[~ + object]He murmured his approval.[used with quotations]She murmured "I love you'' in his ear as he slept.
mur•mur•er, n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026mur•mur
(mûr′mər),USA pronunciation n.
- a low, continuous sound, as of a brook, the wind, or trees, or of low, indistinct voices.
- a mumbled or private expression of discontent.
- MedicineAlso called heart murmur.
- an abnormal sound heard on listening to the heart, usually through a stethoscope, produced by the blood passing through deformed cardiac valves.
- in some persons a similar sound heard when blood passes through normal valves.
- Phoneticsa voice quality in which vibration of the vocal cords is accompanied by the escape of a great deal of air, as in the (h) of ahead;
breathy voice.
v.i.
- to make a low or indistinct sound, esp. continuously.
- to speak in a low tone or indistinctly.
- to complain in a low tone or in private.
v.t.
- to sound by murmurs.
- to utter in a low tone:He murmured a threat as he left the room.
- Latin
- Latin murmurāre; (noun, nominal) Middle English
- (verb, verbal) Middle English murmuren 1275–1325
1. grumble, susurration, mumble, complaint, mutter. 6. Murmur, mumble, mutter mean to make sounds that are not fully intelligible. To murmur is to utter sounds or words in a low, almost inaudible tone, as in expressing affection or dissatisfaction:to murmur disagreement.To mumble is to utter imperfect or inarticulate sounds with the mouth partly closed, so that the words can be distinguished only with difficulty:to mumble the answer to a question.To mutter is to utter words in a low, grumbling way, often voicing complaint or discontent, not meant to be fully audible:to mutter complaints. 7. grouse.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
murmur /ˈmɜːmə/ n - a continuous low indistinct sound, as of distant voices
- an indistinct utterance: a murmur of satisfaction
- a complaint; grumble: he made no murmur at my suggestion
- any abnormal soft blowing sound heard within the body, usually over the chest
vb ( -murs, -muring, -mured)- to utter (something) in a murmur
- (intransitive) to complain in a murmur
Etymology: 14th Century: as n, from Latin murmur; vb via Old French murmurer from Latin murmurāre to rumbleˈmurmurer n ˈmurmuring n , adj ˈmurmuringly adv ˈmurmurous adj
'murmuring' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
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