muted

[ myoo-tid ]

/ ˈmyu tɪd /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR muted ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of low intensity and reduced volume; softened: She spoke in muted tones.

Nearby words

mutazilite, mutch, mutchkin, mute, mute swan, muted, mutedly, mutein, mutely, muteness, mutha

Origin of muted

First recorded in 1860–65; mute + -ed²

Related formsmut·ed·ly, adverbun·mut·ed, adjective

Definition for muted (2 of 2)

mute

[ myoot ]

/ myut /

adjective, mut·er, mut·est.

silent; refraining from speech or utterance.

not emitting or having sound of any kind.

incapable of speech; dumb.

(of letters) silent; not pronounced.

Law. (of a person who has been arraigned) making no plea or giving an irrelevant response when arraigned, or refusing to stand trial (used chiefly in the phrase to stand mute).

Fox Hunting. (of a hound) hunting a line without giving tongue or cry.

noun

Offensive. a person incapable of speech.

an actor whose part is confined to dumb show.

Law. a person who stands mute when arraigned.

Also called sordino. a mechanical device of various shapes and materials for muffling the tone of a musical instrument.

Phonetics. a stop.

British Obsolete. a hired mourner at a funeral; a professional mourner.

verb (used with object), mut·ed, mut·ing.

to deaden or muffle the sound of.

to reduce the intensity of (a color) by the addition of another color.

Origin of mute

1325–75; < Latin mūtus dumb; replacing Middle English muet < Middle French, equivalent to Old French mu (< Latin mūtus) + unexplained suffix -et; cf. -et

ANTONYMS FOR mute

1 talkative.

SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR mute ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsmute·ly, adverbmute·ness, noun

Can be confusedmoot mute

Usage note

See dumb.

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

Examples from the Web for muted

But the softness, the muted quality in turn became an aesthetic.
Digging the Gold in Dylan’s ‘Basement’|Malcolm Jones|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When he accepted the prize, he delivered a speech that has been unfairly ignored because his delivery was so muted.
Martin Luther King’s Nobel Speech Is an Often Ignored Masterpiece|Malcolm Jones|October 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But their voices were muted by hundreds of anti-war slogans.
Thousands of Russians March to End the War in Ukraine—and Topple Putin|Anna Nemtsova|September 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The easily concealable and muted weapon would allow him to sneak up on his victims and get away afterward to kill again.
The Loser Who Wanted to Be the ISIS Agent Next Door|Michael Daly|September 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Within 10 seconds, his target vanishes in a muted cloud of smoke and rubble 7,000 miles away.
Ethan Hawke's 'Good Kill': A Searing Indictment of America's Drone Warfare Obsession|Marlow Stern|September 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yet who would undertake to describe in words the tone of the muted horn?
The Psychology of Singing|David C. Taylor
Sign,—same as a muted note, but written at the end of a glissando.
The Tinguian|Fay-Cooper Cole
After a pause follow a series of refrains of solo voices in the melody, with muted strings, with mingled strains of the motto.
Symphonies and Their Meaning; Third Series, Modern Symphonies|Philip H. Goepp
Far below were sounds, a rasp of metal against metal, a low murmur of muted voices.
The Time Traders|Andre Norton
New pranks appear,—as of dancing strings against a stride of loud, muted horns.
Symphonies and Their Meaning; Third Series, Modern Symphonies|Philip H. Goepp

British Dictionary definitions for muted (1 of 3)

muted

/ (ˈmjuːtɪd) /

adjective

(of a sound or colour) softeneda muted pink shirt

(of an emotion or action) subdued or restrainedhis response was muted

(of a musical instrument) being played while fitted with a mutemuted trumpet

British Dictionary definitions for muted (2 of 3)

mute

/ (mjuːt) /

adjective

not giving out sound or speech; silent

unable to speak; dumb

unspoken or unexpressedmute dislike

law (of a person arraigned on indictment) refusing to answer a charge

phonetics another word for plosive

(of a letter in a word) silent

noun

a person who is unable to speak

law a person who refuses to plead when arraigned on indictment for an offence

any of various devices used to soften the tone of stringed or brass instruments

phonetics a plosive consonant; stop

a silent letter

an actor in a dumb show

a hired mourner at a funeral

verb (tr)

to reduce the volume of (a musical instrument) by means of a mute, soft pedal, etc

to subdue the strength of (a colour, tone, lighting, etc)

Derived Formsmutely, adverbmuteness, noun

Word Origin for mute

C14: muwet from Old French mu, from Latin mūtus silent

usage

Using this word to refer to people without speech is considered outdated and offensive and should be avoided. The phrase profoundly deaf is a suitable alternative in many contexts

British Dictionary definitions for muted (3 of 3)

mute

/ (mjuːt) archaic /

verb

(of birds) to discharge (faeces)

noun

birds' faeces

Word Origin for mute

C15: from Old French meutir, variant of esmeltir, of Germanic origin; probably related to smelt 1 and melt

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 muted (1 of 4)

muted

adj.

1861, in reference to musical instruments, past participle adjective from mute (v.). Figuratively by 1879. Of colors by 1939. Related: mutedness.

Word Origin and History for muted (1 of 4)

mute

adj.

late 14c., mewet "silent," from Old French muet "dumb, mute" (12c.), diminutive of mut, mo, from Latin mutus "silent, speechless, dumb," probably from imitative base *meue- (cf. Sanskrit mukah "dumb," Greek myein "to be shut," of the mouth). Form assimilated in 16c. to Latin mutus.

Word Origin and History for muted (2 of 4)

mute

"deaden the sound of," 1861, from mute (n.). Related: Muted; muting.

Word Origin and History for muted (3 of 4)

mute

1570s, "stage actor in a dumb show;" 1610s as "person who does not speak," from mute (adj.). Musical sense first recorded 1811 of stringed instruments, 1841, of horns.

Medicine definitions for muted

mute

[ myōōt ]

adj.

Unable or unwilling to speak.

n.

One who does not have the faculty of speech. No longer in technical use; considered offensive.

muted

adjective

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of muted

Definition for muted (2 of 2)

mute

adjective, mut·er, mut·est.

noun

verb (used with object), mut·ed, mut·ing.

Origin of mute

Usage note

Examples from the Web for muted

British Dictionary definitions for muted (1 of 3)

muted

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for muted (2 of 3)

mute

adjective

noun

verb (tr)

Word Origin for mute

usage

British Dictionary definitions for muted (3 of 3)

mute

verb

noun

Word Origin for mute

Word Origin and History for muted (1 of 4)

muted

Word Origin and History for muted (1 of 4)

mute

Word Origin and History for muted (2 of 4)

mute

Word Origin and History for muted (3 of 4)

mute

Medicine definitions for muted

mute

adj.

n.