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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Matt Burgess, WIRED, 18 Apr. 2024
At some point, Phillips says Ye had hotel staff come to the room and put on 2022’s The Batman, with the two men watching the movie on mute in silence.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mute 
Adjective
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Use up and down arrows to change volume, and spacebar or enter to toggle mute.
—Matt Burgess, WIRED, 18 Apr. 2024
At some point, Phillips says Ye had hotel staff come to the room and put on 2022’s The Batman, with the two men watching the movie on mute in silence.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mute
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mute.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near mute
Cite this Entry
“Mute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mute. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mute
2 of 3 noun1
: a person who cannot or does not speak
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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