There was a murmur when she entered the room.
Source: tatoeba (308489)
Murmur
/ˈmɜː.mə(ɹ)/
Synonyms for "murmur" (251 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (51)
Strong matches (75)
Related words (125)
maundermoanmouthmuddlemumblemumblingmurmurationmurmuringmussitatemuttermutteringoutcrypantpeeppipeplaintplanctuspurrraise a howlregister a complaint
Show 56 more words
repinereportroarrumblerumblingrumorscoldscreamscreechscuttlebuttshrieksibilatesighsingsnapsnarlsnortsobsoft voicesoughspeakspeak incoherentlyspluttersputtersquallsquawksquealstage whisperstill small voicesusurratesusurrationsusurrusswallowtake ontalkthundertiradetrumpettwangululationunderbreathundercurrentundertonewailwail of woewarblewhimperwhinewhisperwhisperingwhistleyapyawpyellyelpyowl
Noun(33 words)
moaningmoansmumblemumblesmumbling phrasemurmur vowelmurmuringmussitationmutteringmutterspurlpurlingpurlspurringpurrsrhubarbsrumblesrustlerustlesrustling
Show 13 more words
Determiner(1 words)
most slurring
Verb(14 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: cardiac murmur, grumble, murmuration, mutter, air a grievance.
- Sentence evidence is available for murmur, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, wiktionary, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "murmur".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "murmur"
Keep "murmur" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "murmur" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "murmur", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "murmur" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
23 entriesShowing 16 of 23 words.
More specific
13 entriesCollocations
10 entriesbackground murmurcrowd murmursheart murmurlow murmurmurmur of approvalmurmur of discontentmurmuring brookmurmuring crowdmurmuring voicessoft murmur
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
8 entriesTranslations
41 translations across 24 languages.
Ancient Greek
1 entries- θρῦλος noun (low sounds or speech)
Bikol Central
1 entries- ngurubngurob noun (low sounds or speech)
Bulgarian
1 entries- шепот noun (low sounds or speech)
Catalan
3 entries- mormoleig noun (low sounds or speech)
- murmuri noun (low sounds or speech)
- remor noun (low sounds or speech)
Czech
2 entries- šepot noun (low sounds or speech)
- šeptání noun (low sounds or speech)
Danish
1 entries- mumlen noun (low sounds or speech)
Dutch
1 entries- roezemoezen noun (low sounds or speech)
Finnish
3 entries- kohina noun (low sounds or speech)
- mumina noun (low sounds or speech)
- mutina noun (low sounds or speech)
French
2 entries- murmure noun (low sounds or speech)
- rumeur noun (low sounds or speech)
German
3 entries- Gemurmel noun (low sounds or speech)
- Murmeln noun (low sounds or speech)
- Raunen noun (low sounds or speech)
Greek
2 entries- μουρμουρητό noun (low sounds or speech)
- μουρμούρισμα noun (low sounds or speech)
Hungarian
1 entries- mormolás noun (low sounds or speech)
Italian
3 entries- brusio noun (low sounds or speech)
- mormorio noun (low sounds or speech)
- sussurro noun (low sounds or speech)
Latin
1 entries- murmur noun (low sounds or speech)
Macedonian
1 entries- ше́пот noun (low sounds or speech)
Māori
3 entries- hiarea noun (low sounds or speech)
- warowaro noun (low sounds or speech)
- wawaro noun (low sounds or speech)
Persian
1 entries- زمزمه noun (low sounds or speech)
Polish
2 entries- mruczenie noun (low sounds or speech)
- pomruk noun (low sounds or speech)
Portuguese
1 entries- murmúrio noun (low sounds or speech)
Romanian
1 entries- freamăt noun (low sounds or speech)
Russian
2 entries- бормота́ние noun (low sounds or speech)
- ро́пот noun (low sounds or speech)
Swedish
1 entries- mummel noun (low sounds or speech)
Turkish
3 entries- homurdanma noun (low sounds or speech)
- homurtu noun (low sounds or speech)
- mırıldanma noun (low sounds or speech)
Welsh
1 entries- murmur noun (low sounds or speech)
Sample sentences
29 total sentences available.
The murmur of the brook lulls me to sleep.
Source: tatoeba (2230009)
He has a heart murmur.
Source: tatoeba (2739299)
The gentle murmur of the mountain stream helped Tom calm himself.
Source: tatoeba (2875532)
Showing 4 of 29 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "murmur"?
Closest matches include cardiac murmur, grumble, murmuration, mutter, air a grievance.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "murmur"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.