mutter

American  

[muht-er] / ˈmʌt ər /

verb (used without object)

1. to utter words indistinctly or in a low tone, often as if talking to oneself; murmur.

2. to complain murmuringly; grumble.

3. to make a low, rumbling sound.

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verb (used with object)

1. to utter indistinctly or in a low tone.

   to mutter complaints.

noun

1. the act or utterance of a person who mutters.

mutter ¹ British  

/ ˈmʌtə /

verb

1. to utter (something) in a low and indistinct tone

2. (intr) to grumble or complain

3. (intr) to make a low continuous murmuring sound

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noun

1. a muttered sound or complaint

Mutter ² British  

/ ˈmʊtə /

noun

1. Anne-Sophie. born 1963, German violinist

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Related Words

See murmur.

Other Word Forms

• mutterer noun
• muttering noun
• mutteringly adverb
• unmuttered adjective
• unmuttering adjective
• unmutteringly adverb

Etymology

Origin of mutter

1325–75; Middle English moteren, perhaps frequentative of moot ( Old English mōtian to speak); -er ⁶

Explanation

When you mutter, you mumble under your breath, often in an angry way. You might mutter to yourself as you clean graffiti off your garage, for example. An irritable teenager might mutter when her parents make her get off the couch and mow the lawn, and your uncle might mutter at the television every night when he watches the news. When someone mutters, she speaks in a low voice, either to herself or to another person. Mutter was originally moteren in the fourteenth century, and it comes from a Proto-Indo-European root, mut, which was most likely imitative — in other words, it sounds like its meaning.

Example Sentences

The locals in their working-class part of the city of Sahiwal mutter that Zeba is living under a curse after her previous suitors died in mysterious circumstances.

From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026

When Musk makes the same prediction, analysts roll their eyes and mutter about missed timelines.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 15, 2026

You’ll watch Rex Ryan pick apart your decisions and mutter to yourself: Rex Ryan?

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026

Nor does he bounce down like Guardiola, who tends to mutter a sentence or two to his coaching staff before bouncing back up to resume giving orders.

From BBC • Nov. 6, 2024

Chouchou’s grave offense had been to mutter a disparaging comment about the condition of Highway 3, overheard by a soldier not even in uniform.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Related Words

• complain
• groan
• growl
• moan
• murmur
• snarl
• sputter
• whisper