Mute — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun verb /ˈmyüt/

Meaning & Definition of Mute

Mute (adjective)

  1. unable to speak, lacking the power of speech
  2. characterized by absence of speech
  3. felt or experienced but not expressed

Mute (noun)

  1. a device attached to or inserted into a musical instrument to soften or alter its tone
  2. stop
  3. a person who lacks the ability to speak

Mute (verb)

  1. to muffle, reduce, or eliminate the sound of
  2. to tone down, soften, subdue
  3. to evacuate the cloaca

Mute (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. unable to speak

    "the child is both deaf and mute because her hearing was lost at birth"

    similar: inarticulate, speechless, voiceless
    related: tongue-tied, incoherent, incomprehensible, closemouthed, laconic, reserved, reticent, taciturn, tight-lipped, uncommunicative, mum, nonspeaking, quiet, silent, wordless
    near: blabby, chatty, communicative, expansive, gabby, garrulous, loquacious, talkative, talky, vocal, expatiating, speaking out, speaking up, articulating, speaking, talking, articulate, eloquent, fluent, voluble

  2. deliberately refraining from speech

    "remained mute no matter how much we pleaded for an answer"

    similar: mum, muted, silent, speechless, uncommunicative, wordless
    related: inarticulate, tongue-tied, nonvocal, voiceless, dumbstruck, sulking, sulky, sullen
    opposite: communicative, speaking, talking
    near: articulate, eloquent, fluent, voluble, well-spoken, gabby, garrulous, loquacious, talkative, talky, outspoken, unreserved, vocal, facile, glib, silver-tongued, smooth-tongued

Mute (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a device on a musical instrument that deadens or softens its tone

    "I was practicing my trumpet at three in the morning when the mute fell out, and I managed to wake everyone up"

    similar: damper
    related: muffler, quieter, softener, soft pedal

Mute (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to stop the noise or speech of

    "muted the television while she was on the phone"

    similar: dumb, extinguish, hush, quell, quiet, quieten (chiefly British), settle, shush, shut up, silence, squelch, still
    near: agitate, stir

  2. to deaden the sound of

    "closing the windows muted the traffic noise so we could get to sleep"

    similar: muffle, stifle
    related: insulate, soundproof, pad, dampen, mellow, soften, subdue, tone (down), baffle, smother
    opposite: unmuffle
    near: amplify, boost, deepen, enhance, heighten, increase, magnify, step up, strengthen

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Mute

The most common words with a similar meaning to Mute:

Chiefly British: quieten
inarticulate, speechless, voiceless, mum, muted, silent, uncommunicative, wordless, damper, dumb, extinguish, hush, quell, quiet, settle, shush, shut up, silence, squelch, still, muffle, stifle

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Mute

Words with the opposite meaning of Mute:

communicative, speaking, talking, unmuffle

Related Words for Mute

tongue-tied, incoherent, incomprehensible, closemouthed, laconic, reserved, reticent, taciturn, tight-lipped, nonspeaking, nonvocal, dumbstruck, sulking, sulky, sullen, muffler, quieter, softener, soft pedal, insulate, soundproof, pad, dampen, mellow, soften, subdue, tone (down), baffle, smother

Near Antonyms of Mute

blabby, chatty, expansive, gabby, garrulous, loquacious, talkative, talky, vocal, expatiating, speaking out, speaking up, articulating, articulate, eloquent, fluent, voluble, well-spoken, outspoken, unreserved, facile, glib, silver-tongued, smooth-tongued, agitate, stir, amplify, boost, deepen, enhance

Word Forms of Mute

Inflections: muter, mutest, mutes, muted, muting

Derived words: mutely (adverb), muteness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Mute

Middle English muet, mut, from Anglo-French, from mu, mute, from Latin mutus, probably from mu, representation of a muttered sound

First known use: 1513

Words & Phrases Containing Mute

mute swan, deaf-mute

Frequently Asked Questions about Mute

What does "Mute" mean?

"Mute" means unable to speak, lacking the power of speech. As an an adjective, a noun and a verb, it is defined as: unable to speak, lacking the power of speech. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Mute"?

Other words for "Mute" include inarticulate, speechless, voiceless, mum, muted, silent, uncommunicative and wordless. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Mute" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Mute"?

There are 52 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Mute". Common alternatives include inarticulate, speechless, voiceless, mum, muted, silent, uncommunicative, wordless, damper and dumb.

What is the opposite of "Mute"?

Antonyms of "Mute" include communicative, speaking, talking and unmuffle. Near antonyms include blabby, chatty, expansive and gabby.

How do you use "Mute" in a sentence?

Examples of "Mute" in a sentence: "the child is both deaf and mute because her hearing was lost at birth"; "remained mute no matter how much we pleaded for an answer"; "I was practicing my trumpet at three in the morning when the mute fell out, and I managed to wake everyone up".

Is "Mute" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Mute" can be used as an adjective, a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Mute"?

"Mute" is pronounced /ˈmyüt/.

What is the origin of the word "Mute"?

"Mute" comes from Middle English muet, mut, from Anglo-French, from mu, mute, from Latin mutus, probably from mu, representation of a muttered sound. First known use: 1513.