mumble
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to speak in a low indistinct manner, almost to an unintelligible extent; mutter.
- Antonyms:
- articulate
-
to chew ineffectively, as from loss of teeth.
to mumble on a crust.
verb (used with object)
-
to say or utter indistinctly, as with partly closed lips.
He mumbled something about expenses.
-
to chew, or try to eat, with difficulty, as from loss of teeth.
noun
verb
-
to utter indistinctly, as with the mouth partly closed; mutter
-
rare to chew (food) ineffectually or with difficulty
noun
Related Words
See murmur.
Other Word Forms
- half-mumbled adjective
- mumbler noun
- mumbling adjective
- mumblingly adverb
- unmumbled adjective
- unmumbling adjective
Etymology
Origin of mumble
1275–1325; Middle English momelen, equivalent to mom ( me ) mum 1 + -elen -le; compare Dutch mommelen, German mummeln
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.
This is when many older workers quietly mumble to themselves: “I’m done with that,” she says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 19, 2025
“Never heard that before,” he said, because mumble, mumble, George-Washington-and-the-Sound-of-History roaring in his ears.
From Slate • May 28, 2024
This is a regular criticism of Nolan - characters in his films often mumble or are drowned out by background noise.
From BBC • Jan. 13, 2024
“The house analogy of … get the foundation right, take your time, then the storms come, and issues come, you’ll have a chance,” Kiffin says in a low mumble.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 17, 2023
“Sure, um, I mean, I’ll try,” I mumble between bites.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
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.
