a vicious rumour — malicious rumour
collocationC1IELTS 7+neutraloccasional
a rumour that is deliberately cruel, hurtful, or intended to damage someone's reputation.
Say it like a native
Textbook A maliciously defamatory rumour was disseminated about her.
Native Someone spread a vicious rumour about her.
'Maliciously defamatory... disseminated' is legalese; natives 'spread a vicious rumour'.
Pattern: a vicious rumour (about + noun / that + clause)
In use
- Someone started a vicious rumour about her at work, and it really affected her confidence.communication
- In my opinion, spreading a vicious rumour can seriously damage a person's reputation and mental health, so people should be more responsible with what they say.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ a vicious rumour of her.
✓ a vicious rumour about her.
'A rumour ABOUT someone', not 'of'.
Common collocations
a vicious rumour— spread, start, about, circulate
Don't confuse it
Unlike 'a false rumour' (which only means untrue), 'a vicious rumour' emphasizes the cruel or harmful intent behind spreading it.