mutter

[ muht-er ]

/ ˈmʌt ər /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: mutter / muttered / muttering / mutterer on Thesaurus.com

verb (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)

to utter indistinctly or in a low tone: to mutter complaints.

noun

the act or utterance of a person who mutters.

QUIZ

GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!

Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.

Question 1 of 9

Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of mutter

1325–75; Middle English moteren, perhaps frequentative of moot¹ (Old English mōtian to speak); see -er⁶

synonym study for mutter

See murmur.

OTHER WORDS FROM mutter

mut·ter·er, nounmut·ter·ing·ly, adverbun·mut·tered, adjectiveun·mut·ter·ing, adjective

un·mut·ter·ing·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use mutter in a sentence

"That was crazy," Lynn Jenkins of Kansas muttered to another member as she walked to greet Boehner.
Democrats Accidentally Save Boehner From Republican Coup|Ben Jacobs, Jackie Kucinich|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
One local farmer muttered to me it was like living next door to an airport—but one with a difference.
U.S. Planes are Blowing the Hell out of ISIS at Kobani, But …|Jamie Dettmer|October 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Nonsense,” muttered Hawberk, searching on the floor for a fallen rivet.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show|Robert W. Chambers|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“We are now in communication with ten thousand men,” he muttered.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show|Robert W. Chambers|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

“The scolloped tatters of the King in Yellow must hide Yhtill forever,” he muttered, but I do not believe Vance heard him.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show|Robert W. Chambers|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When we were mounted Mac leaned over and muttered an admonitory word for Piegan's ear alone.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
“The British Raj is doomed,” she muttered, lowering her voice, and bringing her magnificent eyes close to his.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
"So that is Jim Poindexter, the bloody villain," muttered the boy between his set teeth, and nervously fingering his revolver.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
He was given no reply save a muttered curse, a command to hold his tongue, and an angry tug at his tied arms.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
"Don Alvar de Mendoce, for example," muttered Alphonse, between his teeth.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various

British Dictionary definitions for mutter (1 of 2)

mutter

/ (ˈmʌtə) /

verb

to utter (something) in a low and indistinct tone

(intr) to grumble or complain

(intr) to make a low continuous murmuring sound

noun

a muttered sound or complaint

Derived forms of mutter

mutterer, nounmuttering, noun, adjectivemutteringly, adverb

Word Origin for mutter

C14 moteren; related to Norwegian (dialect) mutra, Old High German mutilōn; compare Old English mōtian to speak

British Dictionary definitions for mutter (2 of 2)

Mutter

/ (ˈmʊtə) /

noun

Anne-Sophie. born 1963, German violinist

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

mutter

Origin of mutter

synonym study for mutter

OTHER WORDS FROM mutter

Words related to mutter

How to use mutter in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mutter (1 of 2)

Derived forms of mutter

Word Origin for mutter

British Dictionary definitions for mutter (2 of 2)