muffled

Meanings

1. 1adjectivenot comparable

   Describing a sound that is quieter and less clear because something blocks or absorbs it.

   Grammar: Usually not compared; used before a noun or after a linking verb: a muffled voice, the sound was muffled.

   Patterns

   • muffled sound
   • muffled voice
   • muffled by something

   We could hear muffled voices through the closed door.

   The explosion was a muffled thud in the distance.

   He spoke in a muffled tone, as if he had a cold.

2. 2adjectivenot comparable

   Covered or wrapped in a way that reduces sound or hides something.

   Grammar: Often used with 'in' or 'with': muffled in cloth, muffled with a scarf.

   Patterns

   • muffled in something
   • muffled with something

   The drums were muffled with blankets to keep the noise down.

   She kept her face muffled in a thick scarf against the cold.

Common combinations

muffled sound

A muffled sound came from the basement.

muffled voice

I recognized her muffled voice on the phone.

muffled by

The music was muffled by the thick walls.

muffled cry

We heard a muffled cry for help.

Synonyms and how they differ

dull

Dull describes a sound that is not sharp or clear, but it does not necessarily mean something is blocking it; muffled implies an obstruction.

hushed

Hushed means quiet and calm, often deliberately; muffled means the sound is blocked or absorbed.

stifled

Stifled suggests something is held back or suppressed, like a laugh; muffled is more about sound being deadened.

Opposites

Word family

muffle verb

To make a sound quieter or less clear.

Commonly confused: muffled or muffed?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “muffled”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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