Synonyms of mute

mute 1 of 4

adjective

ˈmyüt 

1

as in speechless

unable to speak

the child is both deaf and mute because her hearing was lost at birth

Synonyms & Similar Words

• speechless
• silent
• voiceless
• inarticulate
• quiet
• reserved
• incomprehensible
• taciturn
• incoherent
• tongue-tied
• uncommunicative
• laconic
• reticent
• nonspeaking
• wordless
• mum
• closemouthed
• tight-lipped

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• vocal
• talkative
• communicative
• loquacious
• garrulous
• expansive
• chatty
• talky
• speaking
• gabby
• talking
• blabby
• articulate
• eloquent
• voluble
• fluent
• expatiating
• speaking out
• speaking up
• articulating

2

as in silent

deliberately refraining from speech

remained mute no matter how much we pleaded for an answer

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

mute

2 of 4

noun (1)

as in quieter

a device on a musical instrument that deadens or softens its tone

I was practicing my trumpet at three in the morning when the mute fell out, and I managed to wake everyone up

Synonyms & Similar Words

• quieter
• damper
• softener
• soft pedal
• muffler

mute

3 of 4

verb

1

as in to silence

to stop the noise or speech of

muted the television while she was on the phone

Synonyms & Similar Words

• silence
• shush
• quiet
• dumb
• hush
• settle
• still
• shut up
• extinguish
• quell
• squelch
• quieten

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• stir
• agitate

2

as in to muffle

to deaden the sound of

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• muffle
• stifle
• tone (down)
• soften
• pad
• insulate
• mellow
• soundproof
• subdue
• baffle
• dampen
• smother

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• increase
• unmuffle
• enhance
• amplify
• heighten
• deepen
• strengthen
• step up
• magnify
• boost

muteness

4 of 4

noun (2)

as in silence

incapacity for or restraint from speaking

we were baffled by his uncharacteristic muteness

Synonyms & Similar Words

• silence
• speechlessness
• stillness
• voicelessness
• inarticulateness
• reticence
• taciturnity
• inarticulacy
• reticency
• reserve

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• communication
• speaking
• talking
• eloquence
• fluency
• volubility
• loquacity
• talkativeness
• garrulousness
• loquaciousness
• verbosity
• wordiness
• chattiness
• talkiness
• windiness
• verboseness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of mute

Adjective

The keyboard also offers features like voice-to-chat dictation and a quick mic mute/unmute key, giving you easier access to functionality. — George Yang, PC Magazine, 13 July 2026

The Cubs lineup was on mute Friday night against Reds ace Hunter Greene, who struck out 12 in seven shutout innings in a 4-0 win at Great American Ballpark. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026

Noun

Huffman turned his mute on and his camera off. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 9 Mar. 2026

Gazes tangle, sound mutes, time bends. — Addie Citchens, New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2026

Verb

At an institution where nearly everything else has been muted, the most enduring expression of what the Kennedy Center once was now lives on its smallest stage. — Janay Kingsberry, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

The point is proximity—to power, to being chosen, to feeling newly visible—no longer muted by pregnancy, by new motherhood, by the strain of white-knuckling long stretches of sobriety. — Noe Padilla, USA Today, 28 July 2026

Noun

Audrey Hudson, twenty-four, is a gifted battlefield surgeon who feigns muteness to comfort Carter Reynolds, a combat soldier deafened by an explosion. — Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026

Her media muteness gave her an icy cool, letting her work do the talking, both attributes that many luxury brands aspire to. — Matteo Atti, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025