muttering 1 of 3

noun

Definition of mutteringnext
as in mutter
speech that is not clear enough to be understood barely heard mutterings of discontent

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muttering

2 of 3

adjective

as in mumbling

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

muttering

3 of 3

verb

present participle of mutter
1
as in complaining
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely a muttering group of workers

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in murmuring
to speak softly and unclearly muttering to himself under his breath

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for muttering
  1. complaining
  2. whining
  3. whisper
  4. hesitant
  5. grunt
  6. halting
Verb
  • Jones himself did not attend court this week but used his show to continue complaining about the prospect of The Onion wresting control of his once lucrative conspiracy theory factory.
    Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Alabama complaining about having to schedule easier nonconference opponents in the future for a better shot at making the College Football Playoff is quite amusing.
    Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of complaining
Verb
  • Han then used a tuning fork that was set to the tone that is produced by a flies’ whining wings.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 4 Dec. 2024
  • As the Dodgers officially welcomed their latest gazillionaire pitcher to a remodeling Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, the churning of the bulldozers in the infield was momentarily drowned out by the whining around the baseball world.
    Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024
Definition of whining
Noun
  • With a fan balanced behind each ear, the device operates at the level of a whisper (30 decibels), and its battery can last for 17 hours, or the equivalent of two workdays.
    Olatunji Osho-Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Dec. 2024
  • Neutral and clean with just a whisper of grain and pepper to enliven the palate.
    Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
Definition of whisper
Adjective
  • In January, several people froze to death as dangerous arctic conditions hit the U.S. Some experts believe that climate change will make snowfall on Christmas Day increasingly rare, although others are more hesitant about drawing conclusions.
    Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Research shows people love receiving gift cards – even if some shoppers are hesitant to give them.
    Betty Lin-Fisher, USA TODAY, 2 Dec. 2024
Definition of hesitant
Noun
  • The base’s military police or grunts from the base under other commanders would be dispatched to his apartment.
    Sarah A. Topol, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024
  • While Jim was cashing NFL checks, John scraped by as a coaching grunt at five colleges, catching his break when Ray Rhodes hired him to lead the special teams with the Eagles.
    Dan Pompei, The Athletic, 26 Aug. 2024
Definition of grunt
Adjective
  • Long before the radical abolition movement of the 1830s, enslaved people had little choice but to place their trust in this more halting, conservative movement.
    Carolyn Eastman, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Sep. 2024
  • Fans — the lifeblood of all sports leagues, but especially the incredibly fan-friendly Bundesliga — protested the potential deal, often disrupting and halting games during the second half of last season.
    Vitas Carosella, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
Definition of halting
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near muttering

mutterers

muttering

mutters

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Cite this Entry

“Muttering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muttering. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on muttering

Nglish: Translation of muttering for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of muttering for Arabic Speakers

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