mute

[ myoot ]

adjective

, mut·er, mut·est.

1. silent; refraining from speech or utterance.

   Antonyms: talkative

2. not emitting or having sound of any kind.
3. incapable of speech (offensive when applied to humans):

   Animals are mute and are only able to speak in fairy tales and fables.

4. (of letters) silent; not pronounced:

   The mute “e” in the word “dime” makes the preceding vowel long, so it is not pronounced like “dim.”

5. Law. (of a person who has been arraigned) making no plea or giving an irrelevant response when arraigned, or refusing to stand trial (used chiefly in the phrase to stand mute ).
6. Fox Hunting. (of a hound) hunting a line without giving tongue or cry.

noun

1. Offensive. a person incapable of speech.
2. an actor whose part is confined to dumb show.
3. Law. a person who stands mute when arraigned.
4. Also called sordino. a mechanical device of various shapes and materials for muffling the tone of a musical instrument.
5. Phonetics. (especially in older use) stop ( def 34b ).
6. British Obsolete. a hired mourner at a funeral; a professional mourner.

verb (used with object)

, mut·ed, mut·ing.

1. to deaden or muffle the sound of:

   The music was a little muted by distance and the trees.

2. to turn off (a microphone, a speaker, or audio):

   During the commercials, they muted the TV and discussed the game.

   Check the mic icon to make sure you're not muted.

3. to reduce the intensity of (a color) by the addition of another color.
4. to soften or subdue; moderate:

   His happiness about returning to the United States was muted by his concern for the other hostages.

mute

¹

/ mjuːt /

adjective

1. not giving out sound or speech; silent
2. unable to speak; dumb
3. unspoken or unexpressed

   mute dislike

4. law (of a person arraigned on indictment) refusing to answer a charge
5. phonetics another word for plosive
6. (of a letter in a word) silent

noun

1. a person who is unable to speak
2. law a person who refuses to plead when arraigned on indictment for an offence
3. any of various devices used to soften the tone of stringed or brass instruments
4. phonetics a plosive consonant; stop
5. a silent letter
6. an actor in a dumb show
7. a hired mourner at a funeral

verb

1. to reduce the volume of (a musical instrument) by means of a mute, soft pedal, etc
2. to subdue the strength of (a colour, tone, lighting, etc)

mute

²

/ mjuːt /

verb

1. (of birds) to discharge (faeces)

noun

1. birds' faeces

Usage

Using this word to refer to people without speech is considered outdated and offensive and should be avoided. The phrase profoundly deaf is a suitable alternative in many contexts

Sensitive Note

See dumb.

Derived Forms

• ˈmuteness, noun
• ˈmutely, adverb

Other Words From

• mute·ly adverb
• mute·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mute¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English muet, mewet, muwet, from Old French müet, muet, diminutive formation of Old French mu, from Latin mūtus “dumb, inarticulate”; -et

Word History and Origins

Origin of mute¹

C14: muwet from Old French mu, from Latin mūtus silent

Origin of mute²

C15: from Old French meutir, variant of esmeltir, of Germanic origin; probably related to smelt ¹and melt

Example Sentences

Ukraine’s public reaction was positive but muted, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying any long-range missiles by Ukraine’s forces to take aim at Russia would “speak for themselves.”

From Los Angeles Times

Disney’s so-called experiences business, which includes the theme parks and merchandise, saw more muted growth in the fourth quarter due to inflation, cruise line expansion costs and softer results at international parks.

From Los Angeles Times

At Tuesday's public workout event, the reception for Taylor and Serrano was somewhat muted by a crowd made up almost exclusively of Paul and Tyson fans who came alive when the headliners entered the ring.

From BBC

In the Golden State, the nation’s most populous and economically mighty, Trump’s claimed mandate seemed muted, like a rumbling from elsewhere.

From Los Angeles Times

Amid the deluge of evidence of the harm, including research suggesting Texas’ legislation has increased infant and maternal deaths, some of the ban’s most prominent supporters have muted their public enthusiasm for it.

From Salon

Related Words

• dampen
• soften
• subdue