1
: a half-suppressed or muttered complaint : grumbling
murmurs of disapproval
2
a
: a low indistinct but often continuous sound
a murmur of voices
the murmur of the waves along the shore
b
: a soft or gentle utterance
the murmur of nannies cooing into baby carriages—
Nancy Gibbs
Nancy Gibbs3
: an atypical sound of the heart typically indicating a functional or structural abnormality
The physician detected a heart murmur in his patient.
murmured; murmuring; murmurs
: to say in a murmur
murmurer
noun
Synonyms
Examples of murmur in a Sentence
Noun
the murmur of the crowd
The suggestion brought murmurs of disapproval.
He spoke in a murmur.
They spoke to each other in murmurs.
the murmur of the waves along the shore
Verb
He murmured something about having to get home.
“Thank you,” she murmured as she left the room.
The breeze murmured in the pines.
Recent Examples on the WebJessica Wang, EW.com, 27 June 2024
The music is by way of clicking chopsticks and murmurs of appreciation.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 26 June 2024
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 17 June 2024
Fact checked by Elizabeth MacLennan Some hotels were meant to be seen first from the water — not just glimpsed, but truly approached by boat from across a glassy lake or murmuring sea.
—Becca Hensley, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for murmur 
Noun
The expose came a few months after interior design expert Bobby Berk announced his departure from the show, resulting in murmurs about tension on set.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 27 June 2024
The music is by way of clicking chopsticks and murmurs of appreciation.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 26 June 2024
Verb
Matthes, Boucher, and Walton buried Dumpling, arms crossed over her little chest, in Boucher and Walton’s garden, murmuring their regrets about not finding her earlier.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 17 June 2024
Fact checked by Elizabeth MacLennan Some hotels were meant to be seen first from the water — not just glimpsed, but truly approached by boat from across a glassy lake or murmuring sea.
—Becca Hensley, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for murmur
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'murmur.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near murmur
Cite this Entry
“Murmur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/murmur. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
murmur
2 of 2 verb1
: to make a murmur
the breeze murmured in the pines
2
: to say in a voice too low to be heard clearly
murmurer
noun
Medical Definition
murmur
noun
mur·mur
ˈmər-mər 
: an atypical sound of the heart typically indicating a functional or structural abnormality
called also heart murmur
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