mumble

[muhm-buhl]

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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.

Nearby words

Origin of mumble

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

SYNONYMS FOR mumble

1, 3. See murmur.

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ANTONYMS FOR mumble

1. articulate.

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Related forms

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

un·mum·bling, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
Yulia Shmalov (Economy) tries to stop me, mumbling something about the New Israel Fund.
Netanya's Undemocratic Elections Panel|Stav Shaffir|January 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
She was mumbling to herself, a look of horror upon her face.
The Cry at Midnight|Mildred A. Wirt
Yours—yes, and probably somebody elses, Bim was mumbling his thoughts aloud.
Dust of the Desert|Robert Welles Ritchie
The rest now laid violent hold of Mass John, and she heard him mumbling in a supplicating voice, but knew not what he said.
The Brownie of Bodsbeck, and Other Tales (Vol. 1 of 2)|James Hogg
He was silent for a while, and seemed to be thinking it over, then went on reading and mumbling.
Seven Frozen Sailors|George Manville Fenn
He did hope Ivo would correct that tendency toward declamation; on the other hand, it was certainly better than mumbling.
My Fair Planet|Evelyn E. Smith

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.).

mumble

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

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

noun

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Origin of mumble

Examples from the Web for mumbling

mumble

verb

noun

Word Origin for mumble

mumble

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