Definitions for murmur
ˈmɜr mərmur·mur

Princeton's WordNet(3.88 / 8 votes)Rate this definition:

1. mutter, muttering, murmur, murmuring, murmuration, mussitationnoun

   a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech

2. murmur vowel, murmurnoun

   a schwa that is incidental to the pronunciation of a consonant

3. heart murmur, cardiac murmur, murmurnoun

   an abnormal sound of the heart; sometimes a sign of abnormal function of the heart valves

4. grumble, grumbling, murmur, murmuring, mutter, mutteringverb

   a complaint uttered in a low and indistinct tone

5. murmurverb

   speak softly or indistinctly

   "She murmured softly to the baby in her arms"

6. murmur, mutter, grumble, croak, gnarlverb

   make complaining remarks or noises under one's breath

   "she grumbles when she feels overworked"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. murmurnoun

   (countable) Low or indistinct sounds or speech.

   Etymology: From murmur, murmor, murmour, from murmure (modern French murmure), from murmur, from mormur-. Reduplication points to imitative, onomatopoeic origin. Cognate with Sanskrit , Ancient Greek , Lithuanian murmėti, murmuron, murmulon, murra.

2. murmurnoun

   The sound made by any condition which produces noisy, or turbulent, flow of blood through the heart.

   Etymology: From murmur, murmor, murmour, from murmure (modern French murmure), from murmur, from mormur-. Reduplication points to imitative, onomatopoeic origin. Cognate with Sanskrit , Ancient Greek , Lithuanian murmėti, murmuron, murmulon, murra.

3. murmurnoun

   A muttered complaint or protest; the expression of dissatisfaction in a low muttering voice; any expression of complaint or discontent

   Etymology: From murmur, murmor, murmour, from murmure (modern French murmure), from murmur, from mormur-. Reduplication points to imitative, onomatopoeic origin. Cognate with Sanskrit , Ancient Greek , Lithuanian murmėti, murmuron, murmulon, murra.

4. murmurverb

   To grumble; to complain in a low, muttering voice, or express discontent at or against someone or something.

   Etymology: From murmur, murmor, murmour, from murmure (modern French murmure), from murmur, from mormur-. Reduplication points to imitative, onomatopoeic origin. Cognate with Sanskrit , Ancient Greek , Lithuanian murmėti, murmuron, murmulon, murra.

5. murmurverb

   To speak or make low, indistinguishable noise; to mumble, mutter.

   I couldn't hear the words; he just murmured a lot.

   Etymology: From murmur, murmor, murmour, from murmure (modern French murmure), from murmur, from mormur-. Reduplication points to imitative, onomatopoeic origin. Cognate with Sanskrit , Ancient Greek , Lithuanian murmėti, murmuron, murmulon, murra.

6. murmurverb

   To say (something) indistinctly, to mutter.

   I...heard thee murmur tales of iron wars. (Shakespeare, 1 Hen. IV., II. 3.51)

   Etymology: From murmur, murmor, murmour, from murmure (modern French murmure), from murmur, from mormur-. Reduplication points to imitative, onomatopoeic origin. Cognate with Sanskrit , Ancient Greek , Lithuanian murmėti, murmuron, murmulon, murra.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Murmurverb

   a low, confused, and indistinct sound, like that of running water

   Etymology: [F. murmurer, L. murmurare, murmurari, fr. murmur murmur; cf. Gr. to roar and boil, said of water, Skr. marmara a rustling sound; prob. of imitative origin.]

2. Murmurverb

   a complaint half suppressed, or uttered in a low, muttering voice

   Etymology: [F. murmurer, L. murmurare, murmurari, fr. murmur murmur; cf. Gr. to roar and boil, said of water, Skr. marmara a rustling sound; prob. of imitative origin.]

3. Murmurverb

   to make a low continued noise, like the hum of bees, a stream of water, distant waves, or the wind in a forest

   Etymology: [F. murmurer, L. murmurare, murmurari, fr. murmur murmur; cf. Gr. to roar and boil, said of water, Skr. marmara a rustling sound; prob. of imitative origin.]

4. Murmurverb

   to utter complaints in a low, half-articulated voice; to feel or express dissatisfaction or discontent; to grumble; -- often with at or against

   Etymology: [F. murmurer, L. murmurare, murmurari, fr. murmur murmur; cf. Gr. to roar and boil, said of water, Skr. marmara a rustling sound; prob. of imitative origin.]

5. Murmurverb

   to utter or give forth in low or indistinct words or sounds; as, to murmur tales

   Etymology: [F. murmurer, L. murmurare, murmurari, fr. murmur murmur; cf. Gr. to roar and boil, said of water, Skr. marmara a rustling sound; prob. of imitative origin.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Murmur

   Murmur was a record label that started as an imprint of Sony Music Australia in mid-1994. Named after REM's first album, Murmur signed a number of Australia's most successful rock bands, including Silverchair, Ammonia, Something for Kate and Jebediah. Notable alumni of Murmur are John O'Donnell, a former Rolling Stone journalist who became the head of EMI Australia, and John Watson, who runs a music management company and independent record label, Eleven.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Murmur

   mur′mur, n. a low, indistinct sound, like that of running water: a complaint in a low, muttering voice.—v.i. to utter a murmur: to grumble:—pr.p. mur′muring; pa.t. and pa.p. mur′mured.—n. Mur′murer.—adj. Mur′muring, making a low continuous noise.—adv. Mur′muringly, with a low murmuring sound: in a murmuring manner.—adj. Mur′murous, attended with murmurs: exciting murmur.—adv. Mur′murously. [Fr.,—L.; imit.]

Matched Categories

1. • Schwa
   • Sound
   • Symptom
   • Talk

British National Corpus

1. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'murmur' in Verbs Frequency: #684

How to pronounce murmur?

1. Alex

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

How to say murmur in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of murmur in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of murmur in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of murmur in a Sentence

1. D. H. Lawrence:

   I believe a man is born first unto himself --for the happy developing of himself, while the world is a nursery, and the pretty things are to be snatched for, and pleasant things tasted; some people seem to exist thus right to the end. But most are born again on entering manhood; then they are born to humanity, to a consciousness of all the laughing, and the never-ceasing murmur of pain and sorrow that comes from the terrible multitudes of brothers.

2. D. H. Lawrence:

   I believe that a man is converted when first he hears the low, vast murmur of life, of human life, troubling his hitherto unconscious self.

3. Sir John Lubbock:

   Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.

4. D. H. Lawrence:

   I believe a man is born first unto himself-for the happy developing of himself, while the world is a nursery, and the pretty things are to be snatched for, and pleasant things tasted some people seem to exist thus right to the end. But most are born again on entering manhood then they are born to humanity, to a consciousness of all the laughing, and the never-ceasing murmur of pain and sorrow that comes from the terrible multitudes of brothers.

5. Richard:

   The echo began in some indescribable way to undermine her hold on life. Coming at a moment when she chanced to be fatigued, it had managed to murmur, 'Pathos, piety, courage -- they exist, but are identical, and so is filth. Everything exists, nothing has value.'

Images & Illustrations of murmur

Popularity rank by frequency of use