mutter

verb

mut·​ter ˈmə-tər How to pronounce mutter (audio)
muttered; muttering; mutters

intransitive verb

1
: to utter sounds or words indistinctly or with a low voice and with the lips partly closed
… he gestured and muttered furiously in his lawyer's ear.Tana French
2
: to murmur complainingly or angrily : grumble
Some employees muttered about the changes in the pension plan.

transitive verb

: to utter especially in a low or imperfectly articulated manner
muttered an apology
mutter noun
mutterer noun

Examples of mutter in a Sentence

She angrily muttered something about her bad luck. She sat practicing her speech, muttering to herself. Some employees are muttering about the changes in the pension plan.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Musicians must become actors playing roles, hollering certain motifs and muttering others. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024 Inside the hall, the audience took care to still its usual soundtrack of muttering, shuffling, coughing, and snoring. Justin Davidson, Curbed, 16 Oct. 2024 His main lead is some name she was overheard muttering: Beetlejuice. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2024 Judges moved between the two groups, standing at various distances and angles while muttering about brightness levels and scratching out scores on our sheets, while the audience whispered amongst themselves. Nilay Patel, The Verge, 16 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mutter 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English muteren, of imitative origin

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mutter was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near mutter

Cite this Entry

“Mutter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mutter. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

mutter

verb
mut·​ter ˈmət-ər How to pronounce mutter (audio)
1
2
: to murmur complainingly or angrily : grumble
mutter noun
mutterer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on mutter

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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