wild rumor; groundless gossip
A yojijukugo meaning fabricated stories or baseless rumors spread to mislead or cause trouble. Often used in formal or critical contexts.
Wild rumors flew around during the election.
He was criticized for spreading groundless gossip.
Standard kanji form for this yojijukugo.
Variant using 蜚 (rare kanji) instead of 飛; less common but attested.
A yojijukugo composed of 造 (create), 言 (words), 飛 (fly), and 語 (language), literally 'fabricated words flying about'. The variant 蜚 is an older character for 'fly'.