mumble

[muhm-buhl]

See more synonyms for mumble on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), mum·bled, mum·bling.

to speak in a low indistinct manner, almost to an unintelligible extent; mutter.
to chew ineffectively, as from loss of teeth: to mumble on a crust.

verb (used with object), mum·bled, mum·bling.

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

a low, indistinct utterance or sound.

Origin of mumble

1275–1325; Middle English momelen, equivalent to mom(me) mum¹ + -elen -le; compare Dutch mommelen, German mummeln

Related formsmum·bler, nounmum·bling·ly, adverbhalf-mum·bled, adjectiveun·mum·bled, adjectiveun·mum·bling, adjective

Synonyms for mumble

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

1, 3. See murmur.

Antonyms for mumble

1. articulate.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for mumbling

ramble, whisper, stammer, grumble, stutter, mutter, rumble, murmur, utter, voice, vocalize, whine, verbalize, whimper, swallow, maunder, talk, speak

Examples from the Web for mumbling

Contemporary Examples of mumbling

For everyone else, it was a change in the weather, an appearance of the real, Brando mumbling in a movie.
The Stacks: How Leonard Chess Helped Make Muddy Waters
Alex Belth
August 2, 2014
His wide blue eyes, baby face, and soft, mumbling voice are less pronounced than they are onscreen.
Casey Affleck, Star of ‘Out of the Furnace,’ on His Hollywood Struggles
Marlow Stern
December 2, 2013
Yulia Shmalov (Economy) tries to stop me, mumbling something about the New Israel Fund.
Netanya's Undemocratic Elections Panel
Stav Shaffir
January 11, 2013
Then he or she would start to speak, mumbling thoughts to the dog, recalling his or her own pets.
RIP Cobber
David Frum
October 1, 2012
The victim was mumbling.... When they arrived at the apartment, Famolu carried Karmari inside.
Wisconsin Political Attack Ad Forces Mom to Re-Live Anguish Over Murdered Son
Michael Daly
June 8, 2012

Historical Examples of mumbling

I liked the sound of this and so kept on mumbling "All dead, all dead."
City of Endless Night
Milo Hastings
His voice had a mumbling quality and I noticed the strangeness in his eyes.
The Harbor
Ernest Poole
"Restrain your improper violence," he went on mumbling rapidly.
An Outcast of the Islands
Joseph Conrad
"Don't go near him," said O'Brien, in a thick, mumbling voice.
Romance
Joseph Conrad and F.M. Hueffer
"Death amongst friends is but a festival," he quoted, mumbling in his moustache.
The Rescue
Joseph Conrad

British Dictionary definitions for mumbling

mumble

verb

to utter indistinctly, as with the mouth partly closed; mutter
rare to chew (food) ineffectually or with difficulty

noun

an indistinct or low utterance or sound

Derived Formsmumbler, nounmumbling, adjectivemumblingly, adverb

Word Origin for mumble

C14 momelen, from mum ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for mumbling

mumble

early 14c., momelen, "to eat in a slow, ineffective manner" (perhaps "to talk with one's mouth full"), probably frequentative of interjection mum. The -b- is excrescent. Meaning "to speak indistinctly" is from mid-14c. Related: Mumbled; mumbling.

mumble

1902, from mumble (v.).