mumble

1 of 2

verb

mum·​ble ˈməm-bəl How to pronounce mumble (audio)
mumbled; mumbling ˈməm-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce mumble (audio)
Synonyms of mumblenext

intransitive verb

: to utter words in a low confused indistinct manner : mutter

transitive verb

1
: to utter with a low inarticulate voice
2
: to chew or bite with or as if with toothless gums
mumble noun
mumbler
ˈməm-b(ə-)lər How to pronounce mumble (audio)
noun
mumbly
ˈməm-b(ə-)lē How to pronounce mumble (audio)
adjective

mumbler

2 of 2

noun

mum·​bler ˈməmb(ə)lə(r) How to pronounce mumbler (audio)
plural -s
1
: one that mumbles
2
British : glassblower

Synonyms of mumble

Relevance

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of mumble in a Sentence

Verb He mumbled something and then left. He mumbled “Goodbye” and then left. I can't understand you when you mumble.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
At last, Henley mumbled something. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026 Both look over at me and then Lumet mumbles something and the conversation abruptly ends. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2026 Claiborne mumbled his responses to questions. — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 29 May 2026 The crowd mumbled and shifted as the sinker came slicing downward at impossible speed, arms and legs pinned tight, chin tucked under a matte black helmet. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for mumble

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English momelen, of imitative origin

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of mumble was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing mumble

Rhymes for mumble

See All Rhymes for mumble

Browse Nearby Words

Mumbai
mumble
mumblebee
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mumble. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

mumble

1 of 2 verb
mum·​ble
ˈməm-bəl
mumbled; mumbling
-b(ə-)liŋ
1
: to speak softly and unclearly
2
: to eat with or as if with toothless gums
a baby mumbling its food
mumbler
-b(ə-)lər
noun
mumbly
-b(ə-)lē
adjective

mumble

2 of 2 noun
: speech that is not clear enough to be understood

More from Merriam-Webster on mumble

Nglish: Translation of mumble for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All