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View synonyms for mumble

mumble

[ muhm-buhl ]

verb (used without object)

, mum·bled, mum·bling.
  1. to speak in a low indistinct manner, almost to an unintelligible extent; mutter.

    Antonyms: articulate

  2. to chew ineffectively, as from loss of teeth:

    to mumble on a crust.



verb (used with object)

, mum·bled, mum·bling.
  1. to say or utter indistinctly, as with partly closed lips:

    He mumbled something about expenses.

  2. to chew, or try to eat, with difficulty, as from loss of teeth.

noun

  1. a low, indistinct utterance or sound.

mumble

/ ˈmʌmbəl /

verb

  1. to utter indistinctly, as with the mouth partly closed; mutter
  2. rare.
    to chew (food) ineffectually or with difficulty


noun

  1. an indistinct or low utterance or sound

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Derived Forms

  • ˈmumbling, adjective
  • ˈmumbler, noun
  • ˈmumblingly, adverb

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Other Words From

  • mumbler noun
  • mumbling·ly adverb
  • half-mumbled adjective
  • un·mumbled adjective
  • un·mumbling adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of mumble1

1275–1325; Middle English momelen, equivalent to mom ( me ) mum 1 + -elen -le; compare Dutch mommelen, German mummeln

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Word History and Origins

Origin of mumble1

C14 momelen, from mum ²

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Synonym Study

See murmur.

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Example Sentences

Casablancas speaks in a drowsy mumble and occasionally needs prodding, but once you do, becomes surprisingly engaged.

Everywhere we go, inspiration hits us and we just kind of mumble things into our iPhones.

He defines Dynamic Inaction with one pithy aphorism: “When in doubt, mumble; when in trouble, delegate; when in charge, ponder.”

Fatah's leaders mumble in English that they recognize Israel while delivering incendiary rhetoric in Arabic.

"The mumble could be passive aggressive—the person wants to have someone work very hard at hearing them," Batson says.

Pausing at the threshold before opening the door, the sonorous mumble sounding through the deal panels misled me.

The blows of the ax, off in the chaparral, were louder in their ears now, and they could hear a mumble of voices.

Bristow made no comment on this, and Mattie, turning slowly away from him, began to mumble something.

Inside45 the parlor could be heard the mumble of men's voices.

She waited until he answered, in an indistinct mumble, that he did not know.

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