What does bruit mean?
To "bruit" something is to spread a report of it far and wide, especially when the information is unconfirmed or circulating as rumor. The word is chiefly used as a verb, most commonly in the passive form "bruited about," as in "the deal was bruited about for months before anyone confirmed it." It carries a formal, literary tone and often implies that the news has traveled more through talk than through official channels. "Bruit" entered English in the fifteenth century from Old French, where it meant noise or clamor, itself likely of imitative origin; this earlier sense survives in the archaic noun meaning "a report" or "an uproar." Though rare in everyday speech, "bruit" remains useful in journalism and historical prose precisely because it captures the unofficial, almost gossipy character of news that spreads before it is verified.
To report or spread (news or a rumor) widely; to circulate a story, especially an unconfirmed one.
"The resignation was bruited about the capital within hours."
Usually passive: "was bruited about" or "was bruited."
(Archaic) A report or rumor; also, a clamor or din.
"A bruit ran through the city that the king had fallen ill."
Before newspapers, news didn't get published — it got 'bruited,' shouted through the streets like a rumor on legs.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bruit
"Bruit" was borrowed into Middle English in the fifteenth century from Old French "bruit," meaning "noise, clamor, or report," which derived from the verb "bruire," "to roar or make a din," a word probably of imitative origin. The original sense of loud noise shifted in English toward the figurative sense of "a report" — the noise people make talking — and then into the modern verbal sense of spreading such a report widely. Its Old French cousins have largely died out, leaving "bruit" a distinctive survivor in English.
How bruit is actually used
"Bruit" is formal and literary in modern usage, typically appearing in the passive construction "bruited about" (British) or simply "bruited" (American). It often carries a suggestion that the information may be unverified or merely rumored. As a noun meaning "report" or "din," it is archaic.
Easily confused with bruit
"Brute" means a savage animal or someone lacking intelligence or sensitivity, while "bruit" is a verb meaning to spread a report or rumor.