muted
Americanadjective
adjective
-
(of a sound or colour) softened
a muted pink shirt
-
(of an emotion or action) subdued or restrained
his response was muted
-
(of a musical instrument) being played while fitted with a mute
muted trumpet
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of muted
Explanation
Something muted has a softened tone or quieted sound. When you try to listen through the wall at what someone is saying, it's really muted and mumbly, even if you put a glass to your ear. When you mute the TV or computer speakers, all of the sound goes quiet, but something described as muted is just toned down or turned down. When you whisper you speak in a muted voice; it's not completely quiet or no one would hear you, but it's quiet enough to muffle the sounds or secrets you share. Muted colors don’t stand out as much as bright ones. Beiges and soft grays are muted, and they're great for showing off bright contrasts like a turquoise scarf or red tie.
Vocabulary lists containing muted
The Cay
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Long Way Down
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Shhhh! Synonyms for "Quiet"
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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.
Ultimately, a muted IPO does little to alter Quantinuum’s long-term potential.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
This potentially traumatic subplot is the closest “Renoir” gets to traditional suspense, but even here Hayakawa adopts a muted approach, sidestepping shock value for bittersweet commentary about young people’s confusion around love.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
“This listing represents the first major test for public markets after years of muted IPO activity with SpaceX paving the way for AI giants Anthropic and OpenAI to follow soon after,” Wedbush adds.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
Costco Wholesale may have benefited from shoppers looking for a break from higher gas prices, but its third-quarter results overall on Thursday were mixed, leading to muted trading after hours.
From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026
So he takes that as the okay to reenact the Battle of Gettysburg on his plate, complete with sound effects of gunfire and muted cries of “Charge!”
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
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.
