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 The defense’s main witness didn’t help his credibility when, less than 15 minutes into his testimony, the judge ejected spectators to scold him for muttering comments under his breath and staring him down. Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 25 May 2024 Alicia Vikander plays the president of the European Union as a feral witch muttering nonsense prophecies in Swedish. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 18 May 2024 Instead, the pitch is being razed to build a school, something none of these midlife men can really complain about, even if some of them mutter mutinously under their breath. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 21 May 2024 When Blanche questioned a prospective juror who had filmed videos of Upper West Siders celebrating the 2020 election results, Trump muttered something under his breath and gestured aggressively. Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mutter 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mutter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 2 Jul. 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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