muted

[ myoo-tid ]

/ ˈmyu tɪd /

adjective

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

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?

Question 1 of 10

decorum

the act of or need for making up one's mind.

dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.

a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.

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Origin of muted

First recorded in 1860–65; mute + -ed²

OTHER WORDS FROM muted

mut·ed·ly, adverbun·mut·ed, adjective

Words nearby muted

mutazilite, mutch, mutchkin, mute, mute swan, muted, mutein, mutha, muti, muticous, mutilate

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 ANTONYMS FOR mute ON THESAURUS.COM

usage note for mute

See dumb.

OTHER WORDS FROM mute

mute·ly, adverbmute·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH mute

moot mute

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences 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)

mute¹

/ (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 forms of mute

mutely, adverbmuteness, noun

Word Origin for mute

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

usage for mute

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)

mute²

/ (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

Medical 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.

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

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WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

muted

adjective

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

Origin of muted

OTHER WORDS FROM muted

Words nearby muted

Definition for muted (2 of 2)

adjective, mut·er, mut·est.

noun

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

Origin of mute

ANTONYMS FOR mute

usage note for mute

OTHER WORDS FROM mute

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH mute

Example sentences from the Web for muted

British Dictionary definitions for muted (1 of 3)

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for muted (2 of 3)

adjective

noun

verb (tr)

Derived forms of mute

Word Origin for mute

usage for mute

British Dictionary definitions for muted (3 of 3)

verb

noun

Word Origin for mute

Medical definitions for muted

adj.

n.

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

muted

adjective

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

Origin of muted

OTHER WORDS FROM muted

Words nearby muted

Definition for muted (2 of 2)

adjective, mut·er, mut·est.

noun

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

Origin of mute

ANTONYMS FOR mute

usage note for mute

OTHER WORDS FROM mute

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH mute

Words related to muted

Example sentences from the Web for muted

British Dictionary definitions for muted (1 of 3)

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for muted (2 of 3)

adjective

noun

verb (tr)

Derived forms of mute

Word Origin for mute

usage for mute

British Dictionary definitions for muted (3 of 3)

verb

noun

Word Origin for mute

Medical definitions for muted

adj.

n.