murmur

murmur — verb

1. voice so low that people nearby cannot catch the words clearly — done when shari

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

voice so low that people nearby cannot catch the words clearly — done when sharing a secret, whispering a prayer, or making a quiet remark to someone.

Example

Marta murmured a thank-you to her aunt as they left the church.

murmur + noun phrase (direct object)

The children murmured their lines in the school play, sounding too shy to be heard.

murmur + possessive + noun phrase

Common collocations
  • murmur a prayer
  • murmur a name
  • murmur a thank-you
  • murmur an apology
  • murmur to oneself
Synonyms
  • whisper

    more common than 'murmur'; can be any low-voice speech, while 'murmur' often implies a softer, less articulate sound

  • mutter

    suggests grumbling or speaking with the mouth partly closed; 'murmur' is gentler and not necessarily negative

  • mumble

    implies unclear pronunciation; 'murmur' can still be clear even if quiet

Antonyms
  • shout

    to speak at full volume, the opposite of speaking softly

  • proclaim

    to announce loudly and publicly

Grammar Patterns

murmur + noun phrase

murmur + direct speech

murmur + to + person

Usage Note

Commonly used with direct objects such as 'thank-you', 'apology', 'prayer', or 'name'. Can also introduce direct speech without a reporting verb change.

Common Mistakes

She murmured loudly at the teacher.
She murmured quietly to the teacher.
'murmur' already implies low volume; avoid 'loudly' with this sense.
He murmured to go home.
He murmured that he wanted to go home.
'murmur' does not take a bare infinitive clause; use a that-clause or direct speech.

2. to express mild dissatisfaction or disagreement in a low, private way, without r

2.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to express mild dissatisfaction or disagreement in a low, private way, without raising the issue openly or directly.

Example

Several staff members murmured about the new schedule but said nothing aloud.

murmur + about + noun phrase (intransitive)

Gabriel murmured that the meeting had been a complete waste of time.

murmur + that-clause for complaint

Common collocations
  • murmur about the changes
  • murmur against the decision
  • murmur that something is unfair
Synonyms
  • grumble

    more openly negative; often implies repeated complaining; 'murmur' is quieter and less confrontational

  • complain

    general term for expressing dissatisfaction; 'murmur' specifically adds the element of quiet, private expression

  • mutter

    overlaps with 'murmur' but can suggest anger; 'murmur' in this sense is softer

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

murmur + about + noun phrase

murmur + against + noun phrase

murmur + that-clause

Usage Note

Frequently used with 'about' or 'against' to specify the target of the complaint. This sense is always intransitive; the person complained about is introduced by a preposition.

Common Mistakes

The workers murmured the boss.
The workers murmured about the boss.
when complaining, the target needs a preposition ('about' or 'against').
She murmured her dissatisfaction to the manager directly.' (too direct)
She murmured about her dissatisfaction to a colleague.
this sense implies avoiding a direct confrontation.

murmur — noun

Word family

  • murmuring
    adjectiveB2
  • murmured
    adjectiveB2
  • murmurer
    nounC1
  • murmurous
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe speaking in a low voice, but they differ in clarity and tone. 'Whisper' is the most neutral and common — it simply means speaking without using the vocal cords, often so that only the listener can hear. 'Murmur' is softer and more continuous than 'whisper', and the words may not be fully distinct; it often carries a gentle or affectionate tone, as in murmuring a lullaby. 'Mutter' suggests grudging or annoyed speech with the mouth partly closed, so the words are harder to catch — think of someone muttering complaints under their breath. 'Mumble' focuses on unclear articulation: the mouth barely opens, making it hard to understand even at normal volume. For example: 'Ezra whispered the secret to Tariro' (clearly, for one person); 'Lien murmured a quiet prayer' (softly, respectfully); 'Gabriel muttered something about the unfair rules' (angrily, indistinctly); 'The boy mumbled his answer to the teacher' (unclearly, perhaps from shyness).

murmur ↗whisper ↗mutter ↗mumble ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • a murmur of
  • the murmur of
  • murmurs of discontent
  • without a murmur
  • low murmur

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Murmur' comes from Latin 'murmurare' — a word created to sound like the low, indistinct noise it describes, much like the English word 'murmur' itself. It passed into Old French as 'murmurer' and then into Middle English around the 1300s. The heart-murmur medical sense appeared in the 1800s when doctors heard abnormal sounds with stethoscopes.