Meaning & use
rumoured
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“rumoured” is a form of “rumor”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Reported or talked about as likely to be true, without any official confirmation.
Grammar: Used in the passive, usually with to be or that: it is rumoured that she will resign.
Patterns
- be rumoured to do something
- it is rumoured that something happens
The company is rumoured to be planning job cuts.
It was rumoured that the singer would retire.
He is rumoured to have bought a castle.
adjectivebefore a noun
Said by people to be true or likely, but not confirmed.
Grammar: Comes before a noun: the rumoured merger.
Patterns
- the rumoured something
The rumoured merger never took place.
Fans are excited about the rumoured sequel.
The rumoured price was far too high.
Word forms
| base form | rumour |
|---|---|
| third person singular | rumours |
| past tense | rumoured |
| -ing form | rumouring |
Common combinations
- rumoured to be
- The actor is rumoured to be leaving the show.
- widely rumoured
- It is widely rumoured that the shop will close.
- the rumoured deal
- The rumoured deal fell through.
- long rumoured
- The long rumoured album finally appeared.
- it is rumoured that
- It is rumoured that the manager will leave.
Synonyms and how they differ
- reputed
- Reputed suggests a general reputation that has built up over time, while rumoured suggests recent unconfirmed talk.
- alleged
- Alleged is used about claims, often of wrongdoing, and carries a legal feel that rumoured lacks.
- reported
- Reported is neutral and may be fully reliable, whereas rumoured signals doubt.
Opposites
Word family
Practice
The star is ___ to be joining the cast next year.
Choose one answer.
After is, the passive form rumoured is needed before to be. The other options do not fit grammatically.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rumoured”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.