Definition of mutter
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
nounIndulge Your Inner Word Nerd
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 of mutter from the Web
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California governors rarely appear at legislative proceedings, but Brown sat through an entire four-hour hearing, taking notes as his critics spoke and occasionally shaking his head or muttering his disagreement.
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California governors rarely appear at legislative proceedings, but Brown sat through an entire four-hour hearing, taking notes as his critics spoke and occasionally shaking his head or muttering his disagreement.
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Bands like Bon Jovi and Cheap Trick funneled their overseas popularity into international success, while others have had those words muttered about them in jest.
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Almost every player smashes racquets, and all of them rant and mutter.
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Addison (remember her?!) raises her hand to make a snide comment about Aria, Ezra, and Nicole, and then mutters something about Ali under her breath.
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Gaze low, the boy muttered an acquiescence to give the test a try.
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On Thursday, he was caught muttering under his breath to the crowd.
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Several of Terry's relatives muttered comments as Swinton, using a cane, walked into the courtroom, unshackled, wearing an orange prison uniform.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mutter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of mutter
Middle English muteren, of imitative origin
MUTTER Defined for English Language Learners
mutter
playDefinition of mutter for English Language Learners
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: to speak quietly so that it is difficult for other people to hear what you say
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: to complain in a quiet or indirect way
MUTTER Defined for Kids
Learn More about mutter
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See words that rhyme with mutter Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for mutter Spanish Central: Translation of mutter Nglish: Translation of mutter for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of mutter for Arabic speakers
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