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definitions

mute

[myoot]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR mute ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, mut·er, mut·est.

noun

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.

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RELATED WORDS

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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
Related formsmute·ly, adverbmute·ness, noun
Can be confusedmoot mute

Antonyms for mute

1. talkative.

Usage note

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

Examples from the Web for mutely

Historical Examples of mutely

  • Said, and mutely reproached him with all the pain she had wrought him.

    Poems

    William D. Howells

  • Mutely together they moved through the lonesome, odorous twilight.

    Poems

    William D. Howells

  • Daman looked at them mutely and ardently, as if consumed by an unspeakable longing.

    The Rescue

    Joseph Conrad

  • I was not afraid, but my head swam a little and I only looked at him mutely.

    The Arrow of Gold

    Joseph Conrad

  • When she noticed that Thornton was not eating or drinking she questioned him mutely with her eyes.

    The Man Who Wins

    Robert Herrick

British Dictionary definitions for mutely

mute

1

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

mute

2

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 mutely
adv.

1620s, from mute (adj.) + -ly (2).

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.

mute

v.

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

mute

n.

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.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for mutely

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.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.