Synonyms of muted

muted 1 of 2

adjective

ˈmyü-təd 

1

as in quieted

mostly or entirely without sound

the muted cry of a frightened witness to a murder

Synonyms & Similar Words

• quieted
• silent
• quiet
• hushed
• still
• calm
• serene
• noiseless
• soundless
• peaceful
• tranquil
• stilly
• peaceable

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• noisy
• uproarious
• unquiet
• boisterous
• rackety
• raucous
• tumultuous
• clamorous
• roaring
• clangorous
• roistering
• clattering
• clattery
• rip-roaring

2

as in subdued

not excessively showy

painted with muted colors

Synonyms & Similar Words

• subdued
• quiet
• restrained
• understated
• repressed
• conservative
• low-key
• simple
• toned-down
• proper
• appropriate
• sober
• fitting
• unpretentious
• unflashy
• suitable
• modest
• plain
• handsome
• becoming
• unadorned
• graceful
• undecorated
• unobtrusive
• fit
• inconspicuous
• drab
• unnoticeable
• sensible
• tasteful
• practical
• refined
• mousy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• loud
• noisy
• garish
• gaudy
• flamboyant
• flashy
• ostentatious
• glitzy
• splashy
• swank
• flaring
• meretricious
• vulgar
• tacky
• tawdry
• tasteless
• gilded
• inelegant
• trashy
• fancy
• ornate
• razzle-dazzle
• baroque
• graceless
• frilly
• rococo
• overwrought
• overdone
• overdecorated

3

as in silent

deliberately refraining from speech

she was unexpectedly muted in the presence of her literary idol

Synonyms & Similar Words

• silent
• mute
• speechless
• mum
• wordless
• uncommunicative
• inarticulate
• voiceless
• nonvocal
• dumbstruck
• sulky
• sullen
• tongue-tied
• sulking

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• speaking
• communicative
• eloquent
• articulate
• talking
• voluble
• vocal
• fluent
• talkative
• outspoken
• well-spoken
• loquacious
• garrulous
• talky
• unreserved
• glib
• gabby
• facile
• smooth-tongued
• silver-tongued

muted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of mute

1

as in shushed

to stop the noise or speech of

muted the television while she was on the phone

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shushed
• silenced
• hushed
• quieted
• settled
• stilled
• extinguished
• squelched
• shut up
• quelled
• quietened
• dumbed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• stirred
• agitated

2

as in muffled

to deaden the sound of

closing the windows muted the traffic noise so we could get to sleep

Synonyms & Similar Words

• muffled
• stifled
• insulated
• softened
• padded
• subdued
• mellowed
• soundproofed
• toned (down)
• dampened
• baffled
• smothered

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• increased
• amplified
• enhanced
• unmuffled
• heightened
• deepened
• strengthened
• magnified
• stepped up
• boosted

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of muted

Adjective

The corporate nerve center is clad in the company palette of muted grays and bright-red accents. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026

The setting's soft color scheme matches the muted tone of his voice, with the congressman wearing a light-blue shirt in the cream-and-beige kitchen. — Lara Korte The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026

Verb

The colors are dour and muted, and the yearnings of the two elder Dashwood sisters—the self-abnegating Elinor (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and the passionate Marianne (Esmé Creed-Miles, a gimlet-eyed standout)—often play out in drearily candlelit rooms. — Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026

Even Pappas, one of the company’s loudest and most blunt critics, was muted when asked about the prospect of the renewal. — A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026