urban legend

noun
UK: /ˌɜːbən ˈledʒənd/
US: /ˈɜːrbən ˈledʒənd/

  1. A story or piece of information that is passed around as if true, but is not.

    1. The story about the haunted house is just an urban legend.
    2. Despite being widely circulated online, the story about alligators in the sewers is an urban legend.

  2. A modern, fictional story, often presented as true, with macabre or humorous elements, that spreads widely through oral or electronic means.

    1. I heard an urban legend about a woman who found a snake in her garden.
    2. That story about the hitchhiker who vanishes from the back seat of a car is a classic urban legend.

Synonyms

story folklore tale yarn hoax rumor myth

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "urban legend" in English means: A story or piece of information that is passed around as if true, but is not., A modern, fictional story, often presented as true, with macabre or humorous elements, that spreads widely through oral or electronic means..

The phonetic transcription of "urban legend" is /ˌɜːbən ˈledʒənd/ in British English and /ˈɜːrbən ˈledʒənd/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "urban legend": story, folklore, tale, yarn, hoax, rumor, myth.

Example usage of "urban legend": "The story about the haunted house is just an urban legend.". More examples on the page.