rumbling

rumbling — noun

1. early signs that a group of people is becoming angry or dissatisfied about somet

1.nounB2
Definition

early signs that a group of people is becoming angry or dissatisfied about something — often used in political, workplace, or social contexts

Example

Ayesha heard rumblings of discontent among the office staff about the new shift schedule.

collocation: rumblings of discontent

The prime minister tried to ignore the rumblings of protest from the rural farming communities.

Common collocations
  • rumblings of discontent
  • rumblings of anger
  • rumblings of protest
  • rumblings of opposition
Synonyms
  • murmurs

    softer, quieter signs of unrest, often used metaphorically

  • stirrings

    suggests the very first, still weak signs of a reaction

  • whispers

    implies the discontent is expressed quietly or secretly

Antonyms
  • calm

    absence of any sign of unrest

  • acceptance

    people are satisfied, not discontented

Grammar Patterns

rumblings of [discontent/anger/protest]

Usage Note

Almost always used in the plural form 'rumblings' in this sense. The singular form is rare and sounds unnatural.

Common Mistakes

There was a rumbling of discontent from the workers.
There were rumblings of discontent from the workers.
This sense is almost never used in the singular.

2. a long, deep, continuous sound such as the noise made by thunder, a heavy vehicl

2.nounB1
Definition

a long, deep, continuous sound such as the noise made by thunder, a heavy vehicle, an earthquake, or machinery in the distance

Example

The deep rumbling of thunder woke Mira up at three in the morning.

collocation: rumbling of thunder

Femi could hear the rumbling of a heavy truck coming down the gravel road.

collocation: rumbling of a truck

Common collocations
  • rumbling of thunder
  • rumbling of a train
  • rumbling of an engine
  • rumbling of an earthquake
  • distant rumbling
Synonyms
  • rumble

    identical meaning but used as a count noun for a single sound event

  • growl

    a lower, more threatening rumbling sound, often of an animal or engine

  • roar

    louder and more intense than a rumbling

  • grumbling

    a repeated, irregular rumbling, often of stomach or thunder

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

the rumbling of [source]

a rumbling of [source]

Usage Note

This sense can be countable ('a rumbling') when referring to a single event, or uncountable ('the rumbling of thunder') when describing a continuous or general sound. The source of the sound is typically introduced with 'of'.

Common Mistakes

I heard the rumbling of a thunder.
I heard the rumbling of thunder.
'Thunder' is an uncountable noun and does not take an article here.

3. pieces of news or information that are being discussed by people but have not be

3.nounB2
Definition

pieces of news or information that are being discussed by people but have not been officially confirmed or proven to be true

Example

There were persistent rumblings about a possible merger between the two tech companies.

collocation: rumblings about [topic]

Sari heard rumblings that the local bookstore was going to close down at the end of the year.

pattern: rumblings that [clause]

Common collocations
  • rumblings about
  • rumblings of a takeover
  • rumblings of change
  • persistent rumblings
  • market rumblings
Synonyms
  • rumors

    more direct and common; 'rumblings' is more indirect and suggests underground talk

  • whispers

    suggests the talk is secret or restricted to a small group

  • speculation

    more neutral; focuses on the guessing aspect rather than the talking aspect

  • gossip

    more personal and less serious in tone

Antonyms
  • confirmation

    official verification that makes rumblings unnecessary

  • fact

    something known to be true, not speculated

Grammar Patterns

rumblings about [topic]

rumblings that [clause]

Usage Note

Like sense 1, almost always used in the plural form 'rumblings'. This sense differs from sense 1 in that it focuses on unconfirmed information being discussed, not on signs of anger or opposition.

Common Mistakes

The rumblings about the takeover were true.
The rumblings about the takeover turned out to be true.
'Rumblings' by definition are unverified, so saying they 'were true' contradicts the meaning.

Word family

  • rumble
    verbB1
  • rumbler
    nounC1
  • rumbly
    adjectiveC1
  • rumbled
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Rumbling and rumble are near-synonyms for the same deep, continuous sound — 'rumbling' emphasises the ongoing quality ('the rumbling of machinery') while 'rumble' often refers to a single event ('a loud rumble shook the house'). Growl suggests a lower, more threatening sound with a harsher edge, typically of an animal or a poorly tuned engine, whereas rumbling is more neutral and can describe thunder, traffic, or earthquakes. Roar is much louder and more intense — a lion roars, an engine roars, but rain rumbles. Grumbling is a repeated, irregular rumbling, most often used for stomach sounds ('my stomach was grumbling') or distant thunder that rolls on and off. Use rumbling when you want to describe a background, persistent low-frequency sound; choose roar for a sudden, powerful blast of noise.

rumblegrowl ↗roar ↗grumbling

Common collocations

Nouns

  • distant rumblings
  • persistent rumblings
  • deep rumblings
  • low rumblings

Phrases

  • rumblings of discontent
  • rumblings of anger
  • rumblings of protest
  • rumblings of thunder
  • rumblings of an earthquake

Prepositions

  • rumblings of [discontent/thunder/a takeover]
  • rumblings about [a topic/takeover/change]

Etymology

Proto-GermanicMiddle EnglishEnglish

Rumbling comes from the Middle English word 'rumblen', which likely imitates the sound it describes (onomatopoeia). It is related to similar sound-imitating words in other Germanic languages, such as the Dutch 'rommelen' and the German 'rummeln'. The figurative senses — both the 'early signs of discontent' and 'unverified talk' — emerged in the 19th and 20th centuries, extending the physical sound metaphor to describe underground or preliminary social and political activity.