rumour

rumour — noun

1. News or a tale that people tell each other without knowing whether it is true. T

1.nounB1
Definition

News or a tale that people tell each other without knowing whether it is true. The information could be false, partly true, or simply impossible to verify.

Example

A rumour that the school might close spread through town within hours, though nobody knew if it was true.

collocation: spread a rumour

Hassan heard a rumour that the library would close, but the city council said it had no such plan.

rumour + that-clause

Common collocations
  • spread a rumour
  • start a rumour
  • hear a rumour
  • deny a rumour
  • confirm a rumour
  • unfounded rumour
  • rumour circulates
  • rumour goes around
Synonyms
  • gossip

    Focuses on personal or trivial matters being talked about, often with a negative tone

  • speculation

    Emphasises thinking or guessing without firm evidence, rather than a story being passed on

  • whisper

    Informal; suggests the rumour is being told secretly

  • hearsay

    Legal or formal term for information heard from others, not accepted as evidence

Antonyms
  • fact

    Information that has been proved true

  • confirmation

    Official proof that something is true

Grammar Patterns

rumour + that-clause

rumour + about/of + noun

Usage Note

Often used with verbs that describe how information moves: spread, circulate, start, hear, believe, deny, or confirm. The preposition about or of introduces the subject of the rumour; a that-clause states the content directly.

Common Mistakes

I heard a rumor that the school is closing.' (when writing in British English)
I heard a rumour that the school is closing.
'rumour' (with -our) is the correct British spelling; 'rumor' is American.
The story is a rumor, so it must be false.
A rumour may turn out to be true or false
it just has not been confirmed yet.' — A rumour is unverified, not necessarily untrue.

2. Used when repeating something that people are generally talking about, often wit

2.nounB1
Definition

Used when repeating something that people are generally talking about, often without naming where the information came from. The speaker does not claim the information is true.

Example

Rumour has it that Renata will leave the design firm and start her own studio next year.

rumour has it + that-clause

Daichi heard a rumour going around that the final maths exam would be postponed by a week.

a rumour going around + that-clause

Common collocations
  • rumour has it
  • there is a rumour
  • according to rumour
  • rumour going around
Synonyms
  • word has it

    Less common but equivalent fixed phrase

  • the story goes

    Suggests a narrative being passed along, slightly more literary

  • it is said that

    More formal and general; can refer to belief rather than a circulating story

Grammar Patterns

rumour has it + that-clause

there is a rumour + that-clause

according to rumour

Usage Note

This sense appears in a limited set of fixed frames: Rumour has it that…, There is a rumour that…, According to rumour…, A rumour is going around that… The source of information is intentionally vague.

Common Mistakes

The rumour says that the restaurant is closing.
Rumour has it that the restaurant is closing.
'The rumour says' is not a natural English pattern; use 'rumour has it' or 'there is a rumour that'.
According to the rumour, the price will go up.
According to rumour, the price will go up.
The fixed expression uses no article before 'rumour'.
Idioms

rumour has it (that)...

idiom

People are saying that something is true, although it has not been officially confirmed.

Rumour has it that the city hospital will close its emergency department next spring, worrying many local residents.

Rumour has it that Anong won the lottery, but nobody has seen any proof.

Word family

  • rumoured
    adjectiveB2
  • rumourmonger
    nounC2
  • rumor
    nounB1
  • rumored
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to unverified information, but they differ in scope and tone. A rumour is a specific piece of news that travels from person to person; it can be true, false, or mixed. Gossip is a more negative word — it usually involves personal or private details about other people, often shared for entertainment. Speculation focuses on the act of guessing or forming opinions without enough facts; it is less about a story being passed on and more about people trying to figure something out. Hearsay is a formal or legal term for information that a speaker heard from someone else rather than witnessing directly — it is often inadmissible in court. Example: 'The rumour about layoffs was just gossip from the break room, not speculation by management — and certainly not admissible as hearsay in a legal case.'

rumour ↗gossip ↗speculation ↗hearsay

Common collocations

Nouns

  • rumour mill
  • rumour campaign
  • rumour factory

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'rumour' comes from Latin 'rumor' meaning 'noise, common talk, or a widespread report'. It entered English through Old French 'rumur' during the 14th century. The British spelling retains the French '-our' ending, while American English simplified it to 'rumor' in the 19th century.