mutter
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to utter words indistinctly or in a low tone, often as if talking to oneself; murmur.
-
to complain murmuringly; grumble.
-
to make a low, rumbling sound.
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
-
to utter (something) in a low and indistinct tone
-
(intr) to grumble or complain
-
(intr) to make a low continuous murmuring sound
noun
noun
Related Words
See murmur.
Other Word Forms
- mutterer noun
- muttering noun
- mutteringly adverb
- unmuttered adjective
- unmuttering adjective
- unmutteringly adverb
Etymology
Origin of mutter
1325–75; Middle English moteren, perhaps frequentative of moot ( Old English mōtian to speak); -er 6
Explanation
When you mutter, you mumble under your breath, often in an angry way. You might mutter to yourself as you clean graffiti off your garage, for example. An irritable teenager might mutter when her parents make her get off the couch and mow the lawn, and your uncle might mutter at the television every night when he watches the news. When someone mutters, she speaks in a low voice, either to herself or to another person. Mutter was originally moteren in the fourteenth century, and it comes from a Proto-Indo-European root, mut, which was most likely imitative — in other words, it sounds like its meaning.
Vocabulary lists containing mutter
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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.
He managed to mutter a few words with the help of his host, and was thrilled to receive a standing ovation from the crown for his efforts.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
The locals in their working-class part of the city of Sahiwal mutter that Zeba is living under a curse after her previous suitors died in mysterious circumstances.
From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026
When Musk makes the same prediction, analysts roll their eyes and mutter about missed timelines.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 15, 2026
You’ll watch Rex Ryan pick apart your decisions and mutter to yourself: Rex Ryan?
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026
“Ugh,” I mutter, wiping my shoes on the stone floor before continuing.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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.
