虚きょ聞ぶん

noun

false rumor; false reputation

A literary or formal term for a groundless rumor or an undeserved reputation. Rare in everyday speech; more common synonyms are デマ or 流言.

• その話はなしは単たんなる虚きょ聞ぶんに過すぎない。

  That story is nothing more than a false rumor.

• 彼かれの悪あく評ひょうは虚きょ聞ぶんであることが判はん明めいした。

  It turned out that his bad reputation was unfounded.