murmur

1 of 2

noun

mur·​mur ˈmər-mər 

1

: a half-suppressed or muttered complaint : grumbling

murmurs of disapproval

2

a

: a low indistinct but often continuous sound

a murmur of voices

the murmur of the waves along the shore

b

: a soft or gentle utterance

the murmur of nannies cooing into baby carriages

—Nancy Gibbs

3

: an atypical sound of the heart typically indicating a functional or structural abnormality

The physician detected a heart murmur in his patient.

murmur

2 of 2

verb

murmured; murmuring; murmurs

intransitive verb

1

: to make a murmur

the breeze murmured in the pines

2

: complain, grumble

transitive verb

: to say in a murmur

murmurer noun

Synonyms

Noun

• beef
• bitch
• bleat
• carp
• complaint
• fuss
• grievance
• gripe
• grouch
• grouse
• grumble
• holler
• kvetch
• lament
• miserere
• moan
• plaint
• squawk
• wail
• whimper
• whine
• whinge [British]
• yammer

Verb

• beef
• bellyache
• bitch
• bleat
• carp
• caterwaul
• complain
• crab
• croak
• fuss
• gripe
• grizzle
• grouch
• grouse
• growl
• grumble
• grump
• holler
• inveigh
• keen
• kick
• kvetch
• maunder [chiefly British]
• moan
• mutter
• nag
• repine
• scream
• squawk
• squeal
• wail
• whimper
• whine
• whinge [British]
• yammer
• yawp
• yaup
• yowl

Examples of murmur in a Sentence

Noun

the murmur of the crowd

The suggestion brought murmurs of disapproval.

He spoke in a murmur.

They spoke to each other in murmurs.

the murmur of the waves along the shore

Verb

He murmured something about having to get home.

“Thank you,” she murmured as she left the room.

The breeze murmured in the pines.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Despite some murmurs about The White Lotus losing its bite—or at least taking its sweet time to return—the HBO show proved its staying power in a big way. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 7 Apr. 2025

The soft murmur of a few dozen conversations lingered outside a small auditorium named after Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36th president who overhauled the way Americans pay for college. —Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2025

Verb

Certainly, nothing on the menu or in the service seemed to communicate anything beyond polished, murmuring attentiveness. —Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2025

On Saturday evening, teenagers from a Catholic religious group known as the Salesians stood in a circle, murmuring quiet prayers for the pope's health. —Joe Hernandez, NPR, 24 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, "continuous sound, complaint," borrowed from Anglo-French murmure (also continental Old French), probably noun derivative of murmurer "to murmur entry 2"

Verb

Middle English murmuren "to hum (of bees), growl, grumble, complain," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French murmurer "to grumble, complain" (Old French also "to murmur" [of a brook]), borrowed from Latin murmurāre "to make a low, continuous sound, mutter, grumble, complain," of onomatopoeic origin

Note: Alternatively the medieval French word could be descended from murmurāre if the onomatopoeic character of the word would override the regular vowel change of ŭ to ọ; this is the opinion of the Französisches etymologisches Wörterbuch.

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing murmur

• without a murmur

Rhymes for murmur

• firmer

Kids Definition

murmur

1 of 2 noun

mur·​mur ˈmər-mər 

1

: a muttered complaint : grumble

2

: a low, faint, and continuous sound

the murmur of bees

3

: an irregular heart sound typically indicating an abnormality in the heart's function or structure

murmur

2 of 2 verb

1

: to make a murmur

the breeze murmured in the pines

2

: to say in a voice too low to be heard clearly

murmurer noun

Medical Definition

murmur

noun

mur·​mur ˈmər-mər 

: an atypical sound of the heart typically indicating a functional or structural abnormality

called also heart murmur