ENGLISH
REFERENCE

rumors

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US //ˈɹumɝz// UK //ɹˈuːməz// ru·mors

n. stories or pieces of information that people talk about, but no one knows for sure if they are true. You often hear them when people are guessing about a secret.

n. unverified information or stories circulating among a group of people, typically concerning a person or event. Often used in the plural to describe a general atmosphere of speculation.


SIMPLE

There are rumors that the store is closing.

CONTEXTUAL

The office was full of rumors about who would be the next manager after the sudden resignation.

COMPLEX

Despite the CEO's public denial, persistent rumors of a hostile takeover continued to drive the company's stock price down throughout the fiscal quarter.

Synonyms
Usage

Commonly used with the verbs 'spread', 'deny', or 'circulate'.

Pitfall

I heard a rumor about that he left.I heard a rumor that he left.When followed by a clause, 'rumor' takes 'that' rather than 'about that'.

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