- to utter (something) in a low and indistinct tone
- (intransitive) to grumble or complain
- (intransitive) to make a low continuous murmuring sound
- a muttered sound or complaint
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
mut•ter /ˈmʌtɚ/USA pronunciation
v.
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to say words, or to make sounds, in a low tone hard to understand or hear;
murmur: [no object]He sat, muttering quietly to himself.[~ + object]He muttered a few words of greeting.[used with quotations]"That's it,'' he muttered, "no more.''
n. [countable]
- the act or sound of a person who mutters:answering in low mutters.
mut•ter
(mut′ər),USA pronunciation v.i.
v.t.
n.
mut′ter•er, n.
mut′ter•ing•ly, adv.
- to utter words indistinctly or in a low tone, often as if talking to oneself;
murmur. - to complain murmuringly;
grumble. - to make a low, rumbling sound.
v.t.
- to utter indistinctly or in a low tone:to mutter complaints.
n.
- the act or utterance of a person who mutters.
- 1325–75; Middle English moteren, perh. frequentative of moot1 (Old English mōtian to speak); see -er6
mut′ter•ing•ly, adv.
- 1. See murmur.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
mutter /ˈmʌtə/ vb
'muttering' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):