mutter

[muht-er]

See more synonyms for mutter 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.

Origin of mutter

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

Related formsmut·ter·er, nounmut·ter·ing·ly, adverbun·mut·tered, adjectiveun·mut·ter·ing, adjectiveun·mut·ter·ing·ly, adverb

Synonyms for mutter

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1. See murmur.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for muttered

moan, growl, groan, whisper, snarl, murmur, sputter, complain, grouse, muddle, rumble, grouch, swallow, grunt, croak

Examples from the Web for muttered

Contemporary Examples of muttered

"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
“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
“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
“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
And as I lay and tossed about, the voice in my ears seemed more distinct, and I began to understand the words he had muttered.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show
Robert W. Chambers
February 20, 2014

Historical Examples of muttered

“Not but what she would have royal example,” muttered Tibble aside.
The Armourer's Prentices
Charlotte M. Yonge
"He must have stolen it," muttered Halbert, looking after Robert with disappointment and chagrin.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
"Nothing but a half loaf, and that's dry enough," muttered the stranger.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
“I hope he will yet give the mounseer a good shaking,” muttered Smallbones.
The Armourer's Prentices
Charlotte M. Yonge
"A six-foot stave throws a twelve-foot shadow," he muttered.
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle

British Dictionary definitions for muttered

mutter

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 Formsmutterer, 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

Mutter

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

Word Origin and History for muttered

mutter

early 14c., moteren "to mumble," from a common PIE imitative *mut- "to grunt, mutter" (cf. Old Norse muðla "to murmur," Latin muttire "to mutter," Old High German mutilon "to murmur, mutter; to drizzle"), with frequentative suffix -er. Related: Muttered; muttering.

mutter

1630s, from mutter (v.).