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English (UK)

Meaning of murmuring in English

murmuring
noun [ C or U ]
uk
/ˈmɜː.mər.ɪŋ/ us
/ˈmɝː.mɚ.ɪŋ/

murmuring noun [C or U] (QUIET SOUNDS)

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the sound of one or more people talking quietly, or the things that they say:
There was a bit of embarrassed murmuring and then he put the note down.
I could hear the faint murmurings of two voices.
There are already murmurings that he is going to resign.
a soft continuous sound:
She listened to the soft murmuring of the water.
The growling after each clap of thunder gave way to quieter murmurings.
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Ways of talking
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murmuring noun [C or U] (COMPLAINING)

the act of complaining about something that you disagree with or dislike, but not in a public way:
There was much murmuring against the new leader.
The murmurings of discontent are becoming increasingly audible.
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Complaining
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murmuring
adjective
uk
/ˈmɜː.mər.ɪŋ/ us
/ˈmɝː.mɚ.ɪŋ/
talking quietly:
All was silent except for murmuring voices.
Among the murmuring groups outside the courtroom door was a tall man in a dark jacket.
making a quiet continuous sound:
I listened to the breeze and the murmuring water.
Reduce the heat to a murmuring simmer.
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Ways of talking
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(Definition of murmuring from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of murmuring

murmuring
She falls asleep even while murmuring the end of her prayer.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Such a view is a staple of creation ' scientists ', but even cosmologists and biochemists have been overheard murmuring similar sentiments.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
As a result, rumour became associated in the minds of the authorities with disaffection, the word itself implying murmurings of discontent.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
He has left his wife, and a child in the high school has been ill a week, weeping her eyes out and murmuring his name.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
To speak the truth of one's feelings and desires, to "share" them as the saying has it, is not merely a rendering audible of the inarticulate murmurings of the soul.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
One is more likely to find them strung out rather like a murmuring of starlings along the high street.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0
There were naturally some restive murmurings among the workers.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0
The doctors are murmuring threats or, perhaps in some people's view, doing more than murmuring.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0
Names have been mentioned, and we are all worried about "murmuring" judges.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0
We hear murmurings of dissent from all parts.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0
Already, we are hearing murmurings about fears of over-production.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0
It is common knowledge that there is much waste that could be avoided; there are many complaints and murmurings all over the country.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0
I can almost feel the murmurings on surpluses, as if surpluses were something new.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0
It seeks to reimpose a brutal hardship and that murmuring sense of injustice which was heard from one end of the country to another.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0
There was murmuring here and there about the amount of money, but, generally speaking, it was regarded by local authorities as being satisfactory.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
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Translations of murmuring

in Spanish
murmurante…
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in Portuguese
murmurante…
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in more languages
in French
in Turkish
in Dutch
in Czech
in Danish
in Indonesian
in Thai
in Vietnamese
in Polish
in Swedish
in Malay
in German
in Norwegian
in Ukrainian
murmurant…
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mırıltılı…
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murmelend…
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zurčící, šumící…
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mumlende…
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gumam…
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ซึ่งพูดพึมพำ…
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thuộc âm rì rầm…
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szemrzący…
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sorlande, susande, brusande…
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mengigau…
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murmelnd…
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mumlende, rislende…
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дзюрчання…
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