mumble

verb

mum·​ble ˈməm-bəl 

mumbled; mumbling ˈməm-b(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

: to utter words in a low confused indistinct manner : mutter

transitive verb

1

: to utter with a low inarticulate voice

2

: to chew or bite with or as if with toothless gums

mumble noun

mumbler

ˈməm-b(ə-)lər 

noun

mumbly

ˈməm-b(ə-)lē 

adjective

Synonyms

• chunter [British]
• grunt
• mouth
• murmur
• mutter

Examples of mumble in a Sentence

He mumbled something and then left.

He mumbled “Goodbye” and then left.

I can't understand you when you mumble.

Recent Examples on the Web

Advertisement Haddix mumbled her thanks and slammed her screen down. —Amy Kaufman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2024

When mumbling their prayers over rosary beads, their tongues turned thick and foreign. —Victor Lodato, The New Yorker, 29 July 2024

After a sleepy young man mumbled his comment, O’Rourke encouraged him to stand up straighter and speak louder, so that politicians would know his thoughts mattered. —Eliza Griswold, The New Yorker, 30 July 2024

The whole debate went like that: Trump lying fatuously, leaving his chin wide open for a knockout punch, and Biden instead mumbling about Scranton. —Rick Reilly, Washington Post, 2 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English momelen, of imitative origin

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing mumble

• mumble peg
• mumble-the-peg

Kids Definition

mumble

1 of 2 verb

mum·​ble

ˈməm-bəl

mumbled; mumbling

-b(ə-)liŋ

1

: to speak softly and unclearly

2

: to eat with or as if with toothless gums

a baby mumbling its food

mumbler

-b(ə-)lər

noun

mumbly

-b(ə-)lē

adjective

mumble

2 of 2 noun

: speech that is not clear enough to be understood