mutter

verb

mut·​ter ˈmə-tər 

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

ˈmə-tər-ər 

noun

Synonyms

• complain
• scream
• whine
• moan

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

Before immediately snapping, sighing loudly, or muttering a passive-aggressive comment, try pausing to consider what else might be going on first: Maybe your barista’s slammed with 10 other complicated orders, for instance, or your housemate had a brutal week at work. —Jenna Ryu, SELF, 17 June 2025

McMurtry muttering bone-dry jokes at the end of the world. —Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 26 June 2025

Grandpa got up from his armchair and shuffled into the kitchen, muttering about needing a drink. —Lizz Schumer, People.com, 24 June 2025

Vic lowers his head to peer through the slot of visibility provided by the muttering dashboard defroster. —Literary Hub, 10 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English muteren, of imitative origin

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for mutter

• butter
• clutter
• cutter
• flutter
• gutter
• nutter
• putter
• rutter
• shutter
• sputter
• stutter
• utter

Kids Definition

mutter

verb

mut·​ter ˈmət-ər 

1

: mumble entry 1 sense 1

2

: to murmur complainingly or angrily : grumble

mutter noun

mutterer

-ər-ər 

noun