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

His mute misadventures are the purest expression of animation’s freedom to do and draw anything. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Instead, their positions are conveyed to us through the media, political elites, and heads of industry who can amplify, mute, or distort them. — Anandita Sabherwal, Time, 3 Aug. 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

Contrast between adjacent elements is muted, so nothing leads the eye. — Lorenzo Alvaro, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026

So far, Trump’s response to the hike has been muted, at least by his standards. — Cameron Peters, Vox, 16 Sep. 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