mutter

[ muht-er ]

/ ˈmʌt ər /

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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.

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ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ

There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!

Question 1 of 7

True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.

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Origin of mutter

1325–75; Middle English moteren, perhaps frequentative of moot (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. 2023

How to use mutter in a sentence

As Ransdell walks off, students can be heard muttering “go away,” and “shut up.”
White Supremacist Runs For Senate in Kentucky|Olivia Nuzzi|September 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For all we knew, she would be Jodie Foster in Nell, muttering chik-abee ta-ta een tha wayeen.
The Monica Column You Least Expected|Kevin Bleyer|May 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But all that ass-shaking as part of the showpersonship—mm, one could guess what the gospel maestro might be muttering.
The Cradle of Jazz, Blues and Gospel Endlessly Rocking|Jason Berry|April 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Irritably, he complies, but when the stewardess moves on, he reclines the chair again, muttering balefully under his breath.
Stacks: Hitting the Note with the Allman Brothers Band|Grover Lewis|March 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

It filled my head, that muttering sound, like thick oily smoke from a fat-rendering vat or an odour of noisome decay.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show|Robert W. Chambers|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ask the disappointed vulture and the mouth of the muttering earth to tell you, gentlemen passengers!
A Lost Hero|Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward and Herbert D. Ward
Gradually and stealthily the king of the forest drew near, muttering to himself, as it were, in an undertone.
Hunting the Lions|R.M. Ballantyne
I would rather have undergone a hundred runaways than one week with that old woman muttering her Dutch over my senseless form.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
The deep-set eyes of the soldier glowed with an unnatural fire, and he was muttering to himself, as if in delirium.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
The Minister of Justice walked away, still muttering something about public confidence and political repercussions.
We're Friends, Now|Henry Hasse

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)