• (RP) IPA: /ˈmʌtə/
• (GA) IPA: /ˈmʌtɚ/

mutter (plural mutters)

1. A repressed or obscure utterance; an instance of muttering.

   The prisoners were docile, and accepted their lot with barely a mutter.

• French: marmonnement, marmottement
• German: Brummen, Murmeln, Murren, Nuscheln
• Portuguese: murmúrio
• Russian: бормота́ние

mutter (mutters, present participle muttering; past and past participle muttered)

1. To utter words, especially complaints or angry expressions, indistinctly or with a low voice and lips partly closed; to say under one's breath.

   You could hear the students mutter as they were served sodden spaghetti, yet again, in the cafeteria.

   The beggar muttered words of thanks, as passersby dropped coins in his cup.

2. To speak softly and incoherently, or with imperfect articulations.

   The asylum inmate muttered some doggerel about chains and pains to himself, over and over.

   • Meantime your filthy foreigner will stare, / And mutter to himself.

3. To make a sound with a low, rumbling noise.

   April could hear the delivery van's engine muttering in the driveway.

   • 1715, Homer; [Alexander] Pope, transl., “Book VIII”, in The Iliad of Homer, volume I, London: Printed by W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott between the Temple-Gates, OCLC 670734254 ↗:

     Thick lightnings flash, the muttering thunder rolls.

• (speak under one's breath) growl, grumble, mumble
• (speak incoherently) babble, mumble, murmur, ramble, stutter
• (make a low sound) growl, putter, rumble
• See also Thesaurus:mutter

• French: grommeler
• German: murmeln
• Portuguese: resmungar
• Russian: бормота́ть
• Spanish: murmurar

• French: marmonner, marmotter
• Portuguese: murmurar
• Russian: бормота́ть
• Spanish: balbucear

• French: grogner, feuler, râler

mutter

1. (Indian cuisine) Peas.