rumour
Whispered unconfirmed story
Rumour is the British spelling of rumor—unverified information passed from person to person: Rumour has it she's leaving the company.
A rumour may be true, false, or somewhere between.
The verb means to spread such information, usually in passive constructions: He was rumoured to be bankrupt.
Rumours thrive where official information is scarce.
Speech without full voice
- scandalDisgraceful public affair
- tittle-tattleTrivial, idle chatter
- hearsayUnverified secondhand information
- scuttlebuttInformal rumor or speculation
innuendo · backbiting · grapevine · talebearer · busybody · gossipmonger · chitchat · slander
Deliberate untrue statement
- fabricationDeliberately untrue statement
- canardUnfounded malicious rumor
- hoaxDeliberate deception for effect
- disinformationIntentional deceptive falsehoods
propaganda · fake news · lie · myth · urban legend · distortion · misrepresentation · smear
Speech without full voice
- hush-hushHighly confidential matter
- confidentialMeant to stay secret
- behind closed doorsIn private, unobserved
- off the recordNot meant for reporting
insider · leaked · underground · covert · private · undisclosed · sotto voce · on the quiet
Assertion lacking proof
- hearsayUnverified secondhand information
- speculationUnproven theorizing or risky investment
- conjectureGuess from limited facts
- unconfirmedNot officially validated
unsubstantiated · apocryphal · dubious · questionable · anecdotal · secondhand · uncorroborated · unreliable
Move in a loop
- disseminateSpread information widely
- propagateSpread or breed further
- leakEscape through a breach
- divulgeReveal private information
whisper · pass around · spread like wildfire · go viral · travel · float · make the rounds · get out
Guess from limited facts
- guessworkConclusions drawn without proof
- suppositionBelief without proof
- surmiseGuess from incomplete information
- theoryExplanatory set of principles
assumption · inference · presumption · postulation · hypothesis · educated guess · suspicion · hunch
whisper
Speech without full voice
- scandalDisgraceful public affair
- tittle-tattleTrivial, idle chatter
- hearsayUnverified secondhand information
scuttlebutt · innuendo · backbiting · grapevine · talebearer · busybody · gossipmonger · chitchat · slander · yenta
falsehood
Deliberate untrue statement
- fabricationDeliberately untrue statement
- canardUnfounded malicious rumor
- hoaxDeliberate deception for effect
disinformation · propaganda · fake news · lie · myth · urban legend · distortion · misrepresentation · smear · defamation
whisper
Speech without full voice
- hush-hushHighly confidential matter
- confidentialMeant to stay secret
- behind closed doorsIn private, unobserved
off the record · insider · leaked · underground · covert · private · undisclosed · sotto voce · on the quiet · between us
allegation
Assertion lacking proof
- hearsayUnverified secondhand information
- speculationUnproven theorizing or risky investment
- conjectureGuess from limited facts
unconfirmed · unsubstantiated · apocryphal · dubious · questionable · anecdotal · secondhand · uncorroborated · unreliable · unsourced
circulate
Move in a loop
- disseminateSpread information widely
- propagateSpread or breed further
- leakEscape through a breach
divulge · whisper · pass around · spread like wildfire · go viral · travel · float · make the rounds · get out · mill about
conjecture
Guess from limited facts
- guessworkConclusions drawn without proof
- suppositionBelief without proof
- surmiseGuess from incomplete information
theory · assumption · inference · presumption · postulation · hypothesis · educated guess · suspicion · hunch · reckoning
rumourfact
Verifiable piece of information
truth · certainty · reality · hard evidence · actuality
rumourpress release
Official statement for media
formal declaration · communiqué · proclamation · bulletin · formal notice
- rumor has itUnverified talk suggests
- rumor millInformal gossip network
- spreading rumorsCirculating unverified talk
- spread rumors
- rumour millGossip production source
- dating rumorsUnverified romantic pairing talk
rumor, rumors, rumored, rumoring, rumours, rumoured, rumormonger, rumormongering