Meaning & use
mutter
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To say something in a low, unclear voice, often because you are annoyed or do not want to be heard.
Grammar: Can take a quoted object: he muttered a curse, or stand alone: she muttered to herself.
Patterns
- mutter something
- mutter to someone
- mutter under your breath
He muttered an apology and hurried out of the room.
She muttered under her breath while stacking the heavy boxes.
The old man muttered to himself as he searched his pockets.
verbintransitive
To complain in a quiet, grumbling way, or to express discontent among a group.
Grammar: Often followed by about or against: workers muttered about the new rules.
Patterns
- mutter about something
- mutter against someone
Some staff muttered about the longer hours but did nothing.
Villagers muttered against the new tax.
The crowd muttered darkly as the speaker went on.
nouncountable
A low, unclear sound of speech, or a quiet complaint.
Grammar: Usually singular: a low mutter, with a mutter of disapproval.
Patterns
- a mutter of something
A mutter ran through the audience when the price was announced.
He answered with a mutter and kept walking.
I heard a faint mutter from the back row.
Word forms
| third person singular | mutters |
|---|---|
| past tense | muttered |
| past participle | muttered |
| -ing form | muttering |
Common combinations
- mutter under your breath
- She muttered under her breath as the line crawled forward.
- mutter to yourself
- He muttered to himself while checking the map.
- mutter a curse
- The driver muttered a curse at the traffic.
- mutter darkly
- The crowd muttered darkly about the delay.
- mutter an apology
- He muttered an apology and stepped aside.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mumble
- Mumble stresses unclear speech, often from shyness or carelessness, while mutter usually carries irritation.
- murmur
- Murmur is soft and often pleasant or soothing, whereas mutter sounds grumpy.
- grumble
- Grumble focuses on the complaint and can be heard clearly, while mutter focuses on the low voice.
- whisper
- Whisper means speaking softly without voice so only a nearby person hears, and need not express annoyance.
Opposites
Word family
- muttering noun
- low, grumbling talk
- mutterer noun
- a person who mutters
- mutteringly adverb
- in a muttering manner (rare)
Commonly confused: mutter or mumble? mutter or stutter?
mutter vs mumble
Mumble means speaking unclearly, often from shyness; mutter adds a note of grumbling or annoyance.
mutter vs stutter
Stutter is repeated sounds in speech, not low-voiced grumbling.
Practice
Which sentence best shows 'mutter'?
Choose one answer.
Mutter means speaking quietly and unclearly, usually with annoyance, which fits the second sentence. The others are loud, clear, or friendly.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mutter”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.