rumour mill

IPA/ˈruːmə mɪl/
IPA/ˈruːmər mɪl/

rumour mill — noun

1. the people and communication channels within a community that continuously creat

1.名詞B2
釋義

the people and communication channels within a community that continuously create and pass along unverified stories or pieces of gossip

例句

The office rumour mill has been buzzing all week about the possible merger.

collocation: rumour mill + buzzing

Vivek heard through the school rumour mill that Ms. Patel is retiring next year.

collocation: hear through the rumour mill

同義詞
  • grapevine

    less industrial metaphor, suggests informal word-of-mouth network rather than a continuous production system

  • gossip network

    more neutral and descriptive, lacks the mechanical/mass-production connotation of 'mill'

反義詞

文法句型

the [location] rumour mill

hear through the rumour mill

用法筆記

Commonly takes a modifier that names the location or community where the rumours circulate (office rumour mill, school rumour mill, Hollywood rumour mill). Typical verb partners include buzz, churn, work overtime, and go into overdrive.

常見錯誤

❌The rumour mill told me that the store is closing.
✅I heard through the rumour mill that the store is closing.
💡the rumour mill is a process or network, not a person who can speak to you.