Definitions
01unverified story
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun American English
n. a story or piece of news that people are talking about, but no one knows for sure if it is true.
n. a specific report or statement of uncertain accuracy, typically spread by word of mouth.
日本語:うわさ※
“There is a rumor that the company is going to close next month.”
“The CEO spent the morning addressing a persistent rumor regarding a potential merger that had caused the company's stock price to fluctuate wildly.”
02general gossip
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun American English
n. information or talk that is spread by people but has no proof.
n. unverified information or misinformation considered as a collective phenomenon.
“You shouldn't believe everything you hear through rumor.”
“In the absence of official communication, the staff relied on rumor to guess who would be promoted to the director position.”
Antonyms
03to be reported
B2 · Upper Intermediate American English
v. to say that something might be true, even if you are not sure.
v. to report or circulate by way of rumor; almost exclusively used in the passive voice.
“It is rumored that the famous actor will visit our town tomorrow.”
“Although the contract has not been signed, it is widely rumored that the star player will join the team next season.”
Pitfall
People rumor that he is leaving.
It is rumored that he is leaving.
This verb is almost always used in the passive voice ('it is rumored') rather than the active voice.
Antonyms
04general news or report
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun American English · Archaic
n. an old word for general news or a report about something.
n. a general report, news, or information. This sense is no longer used in modern conversation.
“The rumor of the king's arrival spread quickly through the countryside.”
“In the ancient chronicles, the rumor of the distant war reached the city long before the first refugees appeared at the gates.”
Related words
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/rumor
‘외래어’ data: 한국어기초사전 (국립국어원), CC BY-SA 2.0 KR
※ 機械で選んだ訳語です。ネイティブスピーカーによる確認はまだです。
「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0