How to call someone who spreads rumor? A rumormonger?

Silver

Silver

Senior Member
Chongqing
Chinese,Cantonese,Sichuan dialect
Context and Question:

I wonder if there is a word that I can use to describe someone who spreads a rumor and the rumor is malicious?

I got a news talking about someone who spreaded the rumor that a chemical factory was going to explode and later caused 4 people died.

How to say describe the one who does the thing like this?

How I think:

I found "rumormonger" in dictionary.com. But when I put it in "in context", I found no more than 6 results. Is this word in current use?

Thanks a lot
 
    • You can use that one, Silver, but another one is more common where I live. "Gossip". "Blabbermouth" is also common.
     
    I think, though, in this case, "rumormonger" would be the best of the suggestions so far. As I understand it, Silverobama is talking about someone who told people that the factory would explode, apparently causing a panic in which four people died. We call this sort of thing a rumor.

    In my experience, gossip usually relates to information about people. I would expect poison tongue and bad-mouth to refer to people who attacked someone's reputation. Blabbermouths tell secrets, or spread information that was not supposed to be made public.

    There may be a better term than rumormonger, but that one seems to me to apply to the kind of situation Silver describes, if I understand it correctly.
     
    Last edited:
    Thank you all very much though.

    Cagey, I am thankful for your effort on this thread. I mean the differences among those terms are extremely important for me, an English beginer and lover.

    Silver
     
    Hi, Silver. I don't know why, but I missed your line about the factory. Cagey has a good point here: I think, though, in this case, "rumormonger" would be the best of the suggestions so far. As I understand it, Silverobama is talking about someone who told people that the factory would explode, apparently causing a panic in which four people died. We call this sort of thing a rumor.

    I wouldn't use "gossip" or "blabbermouth" for that situation either. "Rumormonger" is more accurate for that.

     
    I completely agree with Cagey. To repeat this sort of false tale is far more than mere gossip; rumormonger is the best word of those mentioned.

    A related term that has been in recent use is to supply or spread disinformation: to deliberately relay or circulate a lie, something contrary to the truth. I don't know that there is a new term for a person who does this.
     
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