Murmured

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈmɜː.məd/

Definitions

1. Spoke in a low, soft voice that is difficult to hear clearly
2. Uttered words in a gentle, quiet manner to avoid loudness
3. Produced soft sounds with the voice, usually to convey secrecy or subtlety

Etymology: "Murmured" is the past tense of "murmur," so its story is really the story of the verb. The noun came into Middle English from Old French "murmure," and before that from Latin "murmur," a word that imitated a low, continuous sound. That origin is onomatopoeic: the Latin word captured the drone of humming, muttering, or distant roaring, and the sound itself is part of the word, with its repeated m and r sounds mimicking a rumble. Latin "murmur" covered a remarkably wide range of noises, from the hum of bees and the growl of animals to the rush of water and the murmuring of crowds. English gradually narrowed that range. The sense of a soft, indistinct voice, the one we use for "murmured," is the one that has stayed closest to the speaker's breath, while the older associations with rushing streams and grumbling complaints survive in the noun "murmur" for a heartbeat or a stream.

Synonyms: whispered, muttered, mumbled, grumbled, grunted

Antonyms: shouted, yelled, screamed, proclaimed, declared