What does rumormonger mean?
A rumormonger is a person who spreads rumors, particularly stories that are unverified, exaggerated, or deliberately harmful. The word is strongly critical: it suggests someone who actively passes gossip along, often to create excitement, damage someone's reputation, or exploit other people's concerns. It is commonly used in journalism, political discussion, and literary criticism, where a person may be described as a political or notorious rumormonger. Although the basic word “rumor” can refer neutrally to an unconfirmed report, “rumormonger” identifies the person responsible for circulating it and usually carries a negative connotation. The compound is especially associated with the spread of gossip and misinformation, making it a useful term when the speaker wants to criticize not only the claim itself but also the person responsible for propagating it.
nounA person who spreads rumors, especially knowingly or maliciously. The term often carries the implication of deliberately creating or circulating gossip.
- A person who spreads rumors, especially with the intention of stirring gossip or causing harm.
"The committee dismissed him as a notorious rumormonger after he spread unverified accusations."
"Several employees complained that a rumormonger had been circulating false claims about the company."
"The novel portrays the politician as a clever rumormonger who profits from other people's anxieties."
The standard plural adds -s to the noun.
"The forum was flooded with posts by rumormongers who had no reliable source for their claims."
A rumormonger does more than tell a story: by repeating it, the person helps make the rumor travel.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does rumormonger come from?
The word was formed in the early modern period by combining “rumor,” ultimately from the Latin rumorem, meaning a report or widespread talk, with “monger,” meaning a person who deals in or peddles something. The compound follows the English pattern of words such as “newsmonger” and “scandalmonger,” with “monger” contributing the sense of someone who trades in a particular kind of information. The spelling “rumormonger” is the standard form in American English, while “rumourmonger” is also used in British English.
Related word forms
How rumormonger is actually used
The term is generally negative and often implies deliberate exaggeration, falsehood, or malicious intent. It is more common in British and American English than the less common variant rumourmonger.
Easily confused with rumormonger
A rumor is the piece of unverified information being circulated, whereas a rumormonger is the person who spreads it.
A gossiper generally shares personal or social information, while a rumormonger is often understood to spread stories deliberately or insincerely.