mute
adjective
\ ˈmyüt
\
\
muter;
mutest
Definition of mute
(Entry 1 of 4)
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.
4a
: 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
mute
nounDefinition of mute (Entry 2 of 4)
1
: stop sense 9
2
sometimes offensive
: a person who cannot speak
3
: a device attached to or inserted into a musical instrument to soften or alter its tone
mute
verb (1)
muted;
muting
Definition of mute (Entry 3 of 4)
1
: to muffle, reduce, or eliminate the sound of
mute
verb (2)
muted;
muting
Definition of mute (Entry 4 of 4)
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Synonyms for mute
Synonyms: Adjective
inarticulate, speechless, voiceless
Synonyms: Noun
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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.
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Gritty, a furry monster who's mute save for some squeaky hands, was coaxed out of hiding when the Flyers renovated their arena, the team said in his profile. — Scottie Andrew And Brian Ries, CNN, "A 7-year-old hockey fan wanted a prosthetic leg that repped his favorite team, and Gritty was happy to surprise him," 25 June 2019 Whitman invented a poetry specific to this language and open to the kinds of experience, peculiar to democracy in a polyethnic society on a vast continent, that might otherwise be mute. — Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, "How to Celebrate Walt Whitman’s Two-Hundredth Birthday," 17 June 2019 An actress rendered mute by emotional pain removes to an isolated beach house with a nurse as her only companion. — Los Angeles Times, "Here are the feature and TV films airing the week of Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019," 11 Aug. 2019 On a quiet Wednesday afternoon, the cries of the 13-year-old deaf-mute follow you from room to room. — oregonlive.com, "Wordless terror and the world’s refugees: Steve Duin," 2 Aug. 2019 The mother, Teresa (Adriana Barraza, Oscar nominated for Babel), goes about her murderous duties, sometimes with the assistance of her mute handyman (Neil Sandilands, The Americans), with total dispassion. — Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Coyote Lake': Film Review," 31 July 2019 If the butterflies circle around his gut like planes waiting to land at LAX, the internal chaos remains on mute. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: Padres’ door-slamming closer Kirby Yates understated, undeterred," 20 June 2019 Many viewers will go offline prior to episodes of a favourite television show, or mute certain words on social media so as to avoid seeing potentially spoiling posts. — J.b., The Economist, "Why spoilers are ruining storytelling," 7 June 2019 In response, Gabriel struck him deaf and mute until the day that his son would be born. — National Geographic, "The birth of John the Baptist was a miracle. Here’s why.," 22 Feb. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Squads of trumpeters and trombonists, outfitted in combat gear and wearing mutes like auxiliary weapons, scampered up and down the darkened aisles. — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, "Karlheinz Stockhausen Composes the Cosmos," 17 June 2019 That helps avoid the desire to go on mute and have side conversations. — Jenna Schnuer, Fortune, "Turn Remote Worker Pains Into Possibilities With a Pairing of Tech and Talk," 15 June 2019 This program allows a customer to put the phone on mute and patch telemarketing calls to a robot, which understands speech patterns and inflections and works to keep the caller engaged. — Christopher Mele, New York Times, "Robocalls Flooding Your Cellphone? Here’s How to Stop Them," 11 May 2017 Instead Fisher jogged into the dugout, his enthusiasm mute, akin to if this — a home-run robbery to keep a tie game intact — was routine. — Chandler Rome, Houston Chronicle, "Astros return to standard operating procedure in win over Mariners," 19 Apr. 2018 His microphone stays on mute for more than a minute before the footage ends. — Anita Chabria, Emily Zenter, Ryan Lillis, Nashelly Chavez, Ellen Garrison And Molly Sullivan, sacbee, "New Stephon Clark videos raise questions about time taken to render medical aid | The Sacramento Bee," 16 Apr. 2018 Directed by Jeff Baena, the film picks up when a hunky groundskeeper (Dave Franco), who’s introduced to the wild girls as a deaf mute to keep them at bay, arrives on the premises. — Sara Aridi, New York Times, "What’s on TV Tuesday: ‘Roseanne’ and ‘Splitting Up Together’," 27 Mar. 2018 The scene Bright white walls, neon blue signage, a soccer match (Peru versus Iceland) playing on mute, and customers chatting vivaciously in Spanish. — Kara Baskin, BostonGlobe.com, "Celeste in Union Square is small, loud, and happy," 5 Apr. 2018 All the while, Fox News played on mute above his head, its chyrons questioning whether Sessions was about to be fired. — Molly Ball, Time, "Jeff Sessions Is Winning for Donald Trump. If Only He Can Keep His Job," 29 Mar. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
The English-language newspaper The Cambodia Daily also was forced to close, muting almost all critical media inside the country. — Washington Post, "Verdict set for Cambodians who worked for US-funded radio," 10 Aug. 2019 The analysis suggests the direct economic impact of gentrification is muted on those who leave as well as those who stay. — C.k. | Washington, The Economist, "Can gentrification be a force for positive social change?," 2 Aug. 2019 When the fall comes, the leaves will turn and the camp’s 1,200 acres of woods and fields and trails will be covered with yellow and red, the noises of hundreds of campers muted. — Beth Thames | Bethmthames@gmail.com, al.com, "Camp is about summer fun, and life lessons," 17 July 2019 Slowing growth, muted inflation and global central banks turning dovish all build the case for China’s central bank to cut key market rates, Mr. Ding said. — WSJ, "China Trade Data Points to Sagging Economy," 12 July 2019 Depending on the dish, bubbles can enhance, cut through or mute the spices and flavors of Indian food, Yamada and Malone said, making them an attractive foundation for the beverage selection. — Adam Lukach, chicagotribune.com, "First Look: Superkhana International brings a celebration of Indian food to gorgeous space in Logan Square," 11 July 2019 Teamwork and technology have changed hospital care so much that the impact of any one doctor is muted, said lead author Dr. Anupam Jena of Harvard Medical School. — NBC News, "Shortening trainee doctor hours hasn't harmed patients," 11 July 2019 Two-hundred thousand soldiers in the Union Army marched through Washington in May 1865 after the conclusion of the Civil War, though Abraham Lincoln’s assassination muted the festivities. — Matt Ford, The New Republic, "Tanks, But No Tanks," 4 July 2019 The moment called for a celebration, muted by news of Durant’s injury. — Connor Letourneau, SFChronicle.com, "Warriors survive Kevin Durant injury to edge Raptors in Game 5 of NBA Finals," 10 June 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
The analysis suggests the direct economic impact of gentrification is muted on those who leave as well as those who stay. — C.k. | Washington, The Economist, "Can gentrification be a force for positive social change?," 2 Aug. 2019 Inflation has remained muted through much of the economy's 10 year expansion, which Powell has said cited as a justification for potentially lowering rates. — CBS News, "Dow 27,000! A new high for blue-chip index, but stocks still face strains," 11 July 2019 Inflation has remained muted through much of the economy’s 10-year expansion, which Powell has said cited as a jus