English Reference

Word

rumored

Phoneticsru·mored

US/ˈɹumɝd/

UK/ɹˈuːməd/

UK spelling · rumoured

Definition

adj. used to describe something that people say is true, but there is no official proof yet.

adj. reported or described by rumors; widely mentioned as a possibility without official confirmation.

Examples

“The rumored changes to the schedule are true.”

“The rumored merger between the two tech giants caused their stock prices to fluctuate wildly throughout the afternoon.”

“While the rumored discovery of a new manuscript initially excited the academic community, subsequent investigations revealed the document to be a clever nineteenth-century forgery.”

Examples

simple

“The rumored changes to the schedule are true.”

contextual

“The rumored merger between the two tech giants caused their stock prices to fluctuate wildly throughout the afternoon.”

complex

“While the rumored discovery of a new manuscript initially excited the academic community, subsequent investigations revealed the document to be a clever nineteenth-century forgery.”

Real-World Examples

“Ye had been rumoured to be planning a performance in Russia for some time.”
The Guardian · 18 Aug 2026
“Male ski jumpers were rumoured to be using fillers to increase the surface area of their suits so they could jump further.”
BBC News · 15 Aug 2026

Synonyms

Antonyms

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/rumored

English Reference