- To mutter is to speak or chatter in a low voice or under your breath in a way that is hard to hear, or to spread rumors, or speak about someone unofficially.
- When you complain quietly under your breath, this is an example of a time when you mutter.
- When you spread a rumor about someone, this is an example of a time when you mutter about the person.
- to speak in low, indistinct tones without much movement of the lips, as in complaining or in speaking to oneself
- to complain or grumble
- to make a low, rumbling, threatening sound, as thunder
Origin of mutterMiddle English moteren, akin to German muttern, ultimately ; from Indo-European echoic base an unverified form mu- (see mope) from source Classical Latin muttire
- the act of muttering
- something muttered; esp., a complaint or grumble
verbmut·tered, mut·ter·ing, mut·ters
- To speak indistinctly in low tones.
- To complain or grumble morosely.
Origin of mutterMiddle English muttren, possibly from Latin muttīre.
(third-person singular simple present mutters, present participle muttering, simple past and past participle muttered)
- To utter words, especially complaints or angry expressions, indistinctly or with a low voice and lips partly closed; to say under one's breath.
- You could hear the students mutter as they were served sodden spaghetti, yet again, in the cafeteria.
- The beggar muttered words of thanks, as passersby dropped coins in his cup.
- To speak softly and incoherently, or with imperfect articulations.
- The asylum inmate muttered some doggerel about chains and pains to himself, over and over.
- To make a sound with a low, rumbling noise.
- April could hear the delivery van's engine muttering in the driveway.