mutter

American  

[muht-er] / ˈmʌt ər /

verb (used without object)

1. to utter words indistinctly or in a low tone, often as if talking to oneself; murmur.

2. to complain murmuringly; grumble.

3. to make a low, rumbling sound.

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verb (used with object)

1. to utter indistinctly or in a low tone.

   to mutter complaints.

noun

1. the act or utterance of a person who mutters.

mutter ¹ British  

/ ˈmʌtə /

verb

1. to utter (something) in a low and indistinct tone

2. (intr) to grumble or complain

3. (intr) to make a low continuous murmuring sound

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noun

1. a muttered sound or complaint

Mutter ² British  

/ ˈmʊtə /

noun

1. Anne-Sophie. born 1963, German violinist

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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

Example Sentences

“After overhearing a passionate ideological dispute around her own kitchen table between the future Nobel laureate for literature and his radical friends from the University of Chicago, she muttered: ‘Smart, smart, smart.

From The Wall Street Journal

As I’m spinning my combo lock, I mutter, “J, I’m sorry about earlier.”

From Literature

But from the Russians, apart from some discontented mutterings about European involvement and unauthorised leaks, the response has been somewhat muted.

From BBC

“I suppose neither of you would know what I looked like when I was this age,” Ama mutters to herself.

From Literature

“A baby, a baby, a baby!” he muttered as he paged through his almanac.

From Literature

Related Words

• complain
• groan
• growl
• moan
• murmur
• snarl
• sputter
• whisper