muffle
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
muffles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
muffled,
past participle, past
-
muffling
present participle
-
to wrap with something to deaden or prevent sound.
to muffle drums.
-
to deaden (sound) by wrappings or other means.
-
to wrap or envelop in a cloak, shawl, coat, etc., especially to keep warm or protect the face and neck (often followed byup ).
Muffle up the children before they go out.
-
to wrap (oneself) in a garment or other covering.
muffled in silk.
-
to alter temporarily the profile of (a plaster mold) in order to run a base coat of plaster that will later be covered by a finish coat having the true profile.
noun
-
something that muffles.
-
muffled sound.
-
an oven or arched chamber in a furnace or kiln, used for heating substances without direct contact with the fire.
noun
verb
-
(often foll by up) to wrap up (the head) in a scarf, cloak, etc, esp for warmth
-
to deaden (a sound or noise), esp by wrapping
-
to prevent (the expression of something) by (someone)
noun
-
something that muffles
-
a kiln with an inner chamber for firing porcelain, enamel, etc, at a low temperature
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
mufflesimple
-
mufflessimple
-
have muffledperfect
-
has muffledperfect
-
am mufflingprogressive
-
are mufflingprogressive
-
is mufflingprogressive
-
have been mufflingperfect progressive
-
has been mufflingperfect progressive
Past
-
muffledsimple
-
had muffledperfect
-
was mufflingprogressive
-
were mufflingprogressive
-
had been mufflingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of muffle1
First recorded in 1450–1500; late Middle English muffelen “to veil, cover”; probably a derivative of Old French moufle “mitten”; see also muff
Origin of muffle2
First recorded in 1600–10; from Middle French mufle “muzzle, snout,” probably blend of moufle “chubby face” and museau muzzle
Explanation
To muffle is to quiet a sound, usually by wrapping it with something. If you try to speak with a scarf over your mouth, your voice will be muffled. When a hitman puts a silencer on a gun, he's muffling the sound of gunshots, since muffling makes things quieter. Usually, muffling involves wrapping something around or putting something over a noisy thing. Muffling dampens, tones down, deadens, and dulls. Also, if you hold down your emotions and don't express them, you're muffling them. Muffling keeps things quiet.
Vocabulary lists containing muffle
"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Long Way Down
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
State said China had used a technique known as decoupling to muffle the register and evade detection.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 22, 2026
I watched as the woman cuffed the phone receiver, attempting, ironically, to muffle the private information she was giving to a 13-year-old.
From Slate ● Dec. 12, 2023
But Mariam Lambert, a 39-year-old who said Nahel was a friend of her son, stressed the pressure of feeling that she and others, including fellow Muslims, had to muffle their identity.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 5, 2023
When neighbors there complained about the loud noise from computer cooling fans at the bitcoin mining operation, he gave an interview to the Colorado Springs Independent, promising to plant pine trees to muffle the sound.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2023
And both sisters dived into their pillows, trying to muffle their giggles.
From "Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story" by Nora Raleigh Baskin
Mr. Orhan offsets the novel’s magical realism with plainspoken prose that muffles Dilara’s increasingly volatile desires.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026
The visible clutter sets off a contagious, slightly embarrassed giggle, which she muffles with her hands.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2025
Gestational diabetes most commonly occurs during the third trimester of pregnancy when a woman’s body naturally muffles insulin signals, sparking labor difficulties for the woman and long-term afflictions for a newborn baby.
From Washington Times ● May 31, 2023
It dampens our desires and muffles our joy.
From Slate ● Feb. 10, 2021
Bed springs squeal as a large body turns, and a pillow muffles the sobs, but not enough.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
A streak across the sky, then a muffled blast.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
The ride and roadholding compromise is well struck, with road impacts well damped and muffled, and transient body motions kept in check.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
Songs like “Idk” and “Abrir Monte” simulate the experience of being submerged as a muffled, yet pounding bass line takes charge.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2025
Combined with the coloured, shimmering floor and walls, and a soundtrack of muffled voices, gongs and bird calls, it all creates a powerful if unnerving feeling of floating in another realm.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2025
His mother’s voice was muffled by the door and music.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
"But a quantum computer acts like noise-canceling headphones that compare combinations of answers, amplifying the right ones while muffling the wrong ones."
From Science Daily ● Feb. 2, 2026
In front of Eirik Johnson’s photo diptychs, you wonder: Does snow — a thick, muffling blanket devoid of color — obscure or reveal?
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 20, 2023
Seated on his sofa in a button-down shirt, worn Levi’s and blue-rimmed round glasses, Duncan offers me a chair and keeps distractions at bay, at one point muffling his ringing cellphone with a throw pillow.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2023
Wearing hats and headscarves compromised her hearing further, however, due to the fabric muffling her hearing aids.
From BBC ● May 15, 2022
She began to laugh, muffling it against Hannah’s back, a sound so close to sobbing that Hannah could not tell the difference.
From "The Devil's Arithmetic" by Jane Yolen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
