muted 1 of 2

adjective

ˈmyü-təd How to pronounce muted (audio)
Definition of mutednext
1
as in quieted
mostly or entirely without sound the muted cry of a frightened witness to a murder

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in subdued
not excessively showy painted with muted colors

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3
as in silent
deliberately refraining from speech she was unexpectedly muted in the presence of her literary idol

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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

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2
as in muffled
to deaden the sound of closing the windows muted the traffic noise so we could get to sleep

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of muted
Adjective
Despite the film’s slow-cinema touches, its storytelling structure and emotionality — even though muted and quiet — recall instead the melodrama at its most facile. — Elena Lazic, Variety, 25 July 2026 Just before turning heads in Valentino’s current signature electric hot pink, Zendaya opted for a more muted palette at the Euphoria season premiere. — Shelby Comroe, InStyle, 25 July 2026
Verb
Yet, the interest in one of the game’s top sluggers is muted. — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 27 July 2026 The thick gray clouds hanging over Carter-Finley Stadium muted the July sun. — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 26 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for muted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muted
  1. silent
  2. subdued
  3. mute
  4. shushed
  5. muffled
  6. quiet
  7. restrained
  8. speechless
Adjective
  • Physicians, despite their leverage, often remain silent due to cultural pressures.
    — Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • David May was the joker in the team; Paul Scholes was the silent assassin, sat there at the back, throwing comments.
    — Andy Mitten, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of silent
Adjective
  • The singer’s fourth album inhabits a balmy medium zone of relentlessly moderate tempos and subdued vocals, where even brief moments of intriguing tension and fuzz get flattened into homogeneity.
    — Mitch Therieau, Pitchfork, 30 July 2026
  • Even slamming the door of the Mercedes is a subdued event with its soft-close doors.
    — Sasha Lekach, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of subdued
Adjective
  • Fauci sat mute as Johnson described adverse health effects from COVID-19 vaccines and the efficacy of ivermectin to treat the virus.
    — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 29 July 2026
  • The microphone boom has a mute LED and can rotate through 270 degrees, enabling the headset to be worn with the microphone boom arm on the left or the right side.
    — Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of mute
Verb
  • As the moment unfolded, Savannah shushed the future king and even briefly placed her hand over his mouth in an effort to keep him composed.
    — Staff Author, InStyle, 13 June 2026
  • The Giants offense got shushed Wednesday night by Shohei Ohtani, and their hitters went down almost as quietly against right-hander Emmet Sheehan.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Definition of shushed
Verb
  • Educational lectures at the aquarium and the sounds of traffic on the street both came through clearly, not remotely muffled.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 30 July 2026
  • Missing crucial orders because a voice is muffled, or struggling to pull out an emergency fire shelter because a mask is in the way, could be the difference between life and death.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of muffled
Adjective
  • My favorite way to spend an afternoon, though, was borrowing one of the hotel's bicycles and pedaling around South of Fifth, where quiet residential streets quickly give way to cafés, the marina, and the fun buzz of Ocean Drive.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026
  • For gardens, Shosei-en is a quiet surprise so close to Kyoto Station that most visitors walk right past it, a strolling garden of ponds, bridges, and teahouses that makes a perfect first or last stop in the city.
    — Shivani Vora, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of quiet
Adjective
  • There’s a smooth clarity to most of these songs, which grants different textures and dimensions to even Lyseight’s most restrained beats.
    — Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Promotional stills, tour visuals and social content have followed the same restrained palette of black, white and grey, with color largely absent from official imagery.
    — Olivia Shalhoup, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of restrained
Adjective
  • His friends, from brother Luigi (Charlie Day) to Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) veer in a similar direction, somehow coming across less fully formed and three-dimensional than their nearly speechless inspirations from Nintendo‘s flagship franchise.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 31 Mar. 2026
  • In helicopter video taken by Air Maui Helicopter Tours in Lahaina and posted online the people aboard are largely speechless.
    — Phil Helsel, NBC News, 10 Aug. 2023
Definition of speechless

Browse Nearby Words

mute
muted
muteness
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Cite this Entry

“Muted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muted. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of muted for Spanish Speakers

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