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

When John finally reunites with Hal (who charges the ring against the lantern while quickly muttering his oath), the frustrated protégé immediately confronts his teacher with all the suspicions he was meant to keep secret. — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026

That’s when Way mutters the p-word — under his breath for plausible deniability, but certainly still with the intention of being heard, smirking at the sound of my laughter. — Selome Hailu, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026

Now, for the second straight summer, 49ers training camp goes on without him on the sideline — strolling, watching, eavesdropping, muttering. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026

This was 1872, and the pious (and patronizing) commentators of the time muttered that Damien’s unvarnished personality was due to his simple farm upbringing in rural Belgium. — Literary Hub, 20 July 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