muter; mutest
1
: unable to speak : lacking the power of speech
2
: characterized by absence of speech: such as
a
: felt or experienced but not expressed
touched her hand in mute sympathy
her mute hostility
b
: refusing to plead directly or stand trial
the prisoner stands mute
3
: remaining silent, undiscovered, or unrecognized
The hounds generally hunt mute, so they can get close to the game.
4
a
: contributing nothing to the pronunciation of a word
the b in plumb is mute
b
: contributing to the pronunciation of a word but not representing the nucleus of a syllable
the e in mate is mute
mutely
adverb
muteness
noun
plural mutes
1
: a device attached to or inserted into a musical instrument to soften or alter its tone
3
dated, offensive
: a person who lacks the ability to speak
muted; muting
1
: to muffle, reduce, or eliminate the sound of
Synonyms
Examples of mute in a Sentence
Adjective
They hugged each other in mute sympathy.
I could see a mute plea for help in his eyes.
Noun
I was practicing my trumpet at three in the morning when the mute fell out, and I managed to wake everyone up.
Verb (1)
muted the television while she was on the phone
closing the windows muted the traffic noise so we could get to sleep
Recent Examples on the Web
Allie Volpe, Vox, 11 Nov. 2024
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Use up and down arrows to change volume, and spacebar or enter to toggle mute.
—Will Knight, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2024
Vulture, 12 Dec. 2022
After accidentally starting a wildfire, 7-year-old Lu, mute and from an abusive home, slyly tricks Merribelle, a hardworking trans woman, into kidnapping her – sparking a beautifully unexpected bond with a devastating expiration date.
—Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Dec. 2022
Nate Jones, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2024
Grand Prismatic Spring, the third largest hot spring in the world and one of Yellowstone's top attractions, looked particularly magical as the overcast skies muted its rainbow colors and heavy steam shrouded the site.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY, 19 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mute 
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Adjective
However, give yourself permission to mute group chats with friends if the conversation or information shared feels overwhelming.
—Allie Volpe, Vox, 11 Nov. 2024
Please check back again soon for the recorded video.
LIVE
VIDEO TO BEGIN AFTER AD
Loaded: 0%
Progress: 0%
Use up and down arrows to change volume, and spacebar or enter to toggle mute.
—Will Knight, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
After accidentally starting a wildfire, 7-year-old Lu, mute and from an abusive home, slyly tricks Merribelle, a hardworking trans woman, into kidnapping her — sparking a beautifully unexpected bond with a devastating expiration date.
—Vulture, 12 Dec. 2022
After accidentally starting a wildfire, 7-year-old Lu, mute and from an abusive home, slyly tricks Merribelle, a hardworking trans woman, into kidnapping her – sparking a beautifully unexpected bond with a devastating expiration date.
—Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Dec. 2022
Verb
Green Book premieres at the same festival, but its message about looking past each other’s differences feels less pressing in a world where Donald Trump has not just nominated Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, and response to the interracial buddy dramedy is muted.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2024
Grand Prismatic Spring, the third largest hot spring in the world and one of Yellowstone's top attractions, looked particularly magical as the overcast skies muted its rainbow colors and heavy steam shrouded the site.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY, 19 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mute
Dictionary Entries Near mute
Cite this Entry
“Mute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mute. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mute
2 of 3 noun1
offensive
: a person who cannot or does not speak
—used especially in the past
2
: a device attached to or inserted into a musical instrument to reduce, soften, or muffle its tone
mute
3 of 3 verb
muted; muting
1
: to muffle or reduce the sound of
2
: to tone down
muted his criticism
Medical Definition
mute
1 of 2 adjective
muter; mutest
: unable to speak : lacking the power of speech
muteness
noun
mute
2 of 2 noun
dated, offensive
: a person who lacks the ability to speak
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