mutter

1 of 2

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

mutterer

2 of 2

noun

mut·​ter·​er -ərə(r) 

plural -s

: one that mutters

Synonyms of mutter

Verb

• complain
• scream
• whine
• moan

Examples of mutter in a Sentence

Verb

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

Verb

Wilde read on social media that the tune actually inspired a movie theater meet-cute, as Nash mutters profanity mid-song. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 11 July 2026

Bat met ball and, under his breath, Astros manager Joe Espada muttered an expletive. — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 29 June 2026

In the shadows of the long-hut, the elders muttered among themselves—of portents and crops and weather and the storage of grain. — Maggie O’Farrell, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026

Sunsets are good — though be careful, because someone in the back will mutter something about solar panels. — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 20 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English muteren, of imitative origin

First Known Use

Verb

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