Rumble Meaning
/ˈɹʌmb(ə)l/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA low, heavy, continuous sound, such as that of thunder or a hungry stomach.
nounA street fight or brawl.
Sentence Examples
From somewhere in the distance came an ominous rumble.
Why does lightning flash and thunder rumble?
CEFR Practice Quiz
I could hear the thunder ____ in the distance as the storm approached.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
They heard a distant ____ of thunder before the storm finally broke over the valley.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English rumblen, romblen, rummelyn, frequentative form of romen (“to roar”), equivalent to rome + -le. Cognate with Dutch rommelen (“to rumble”), Low German rummeln (“to rumble”), German rumpeln (“to be noisy”), Danish rumle (“to rumble”), all of imitative origin. Compare typologically Russian громи́ть (gromítʹ), погро́м (pogróm), разгро́м (razgróm) (akin to гром (grom), греме́ть (gremétʹ), громыха́ть (gromyxátʹ)). Also compare гро́хнуть (gróxnutʹ) (akin to гро́хот (gróxot)).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Kit, well wrapped, […] was in the rumble behind."
— 1840-1841, Charles Dickens, Master Humphrey's Clock:
""I never was so sorry for any thing as for Mr. Glentworth's death," said Isabella Granard, endeavouring to screen her face from a small, sharp rain, to which her place in the rumble of a travelling carriage left her quite exposed."
— 1838 (date written), L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter I, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, →OCLC, page 2:
"I watched him take his seat on the third row from the front, and I heard him rumble, “Nearer my God to thee,” some notes behind the rest of us."
— 1960 July 11, Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, Philadelphia, Pa.; New York, N.Y.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott Company, →OCLC:
"As the train rumbled slowly over the Forth Bridge, the western sky was aflame with a particularly gorgeous sunset, and lights were twinkling from the small craft riding at anchor on the calm waters of the firth."
— 1950 January, Arthur F. Beckenham, “With British Railways to the Far North”, in Railway Magazine, page 8:
"Henderson, beginning a mini-run in the team with David de Gea on paternity leave, threw out to the left flank and Shaw had only one thought – to rumble upfield."
— 2021 March 7, David Hytner, “Manchester United catch City cold as Fernandes and Shaw end winning run”, in The Guardian:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
I could hear the thunder ____ in the distance as the storm approached.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
They heard a distant ____ of thunder before the storm finally broke over the valley.