Link Centre Dictionary

mute

UK/mjuːt/ US/mjʉwt/ fairly common
adjective (3) noun (2) verb (1)

adjective

1.

expressed without speech; especially because words would be inappropriate or inadequate

  • “a mute appeal”
  • “a silent curse”
  • “best grief is tongueless” Emily Dickinson
  • “the words stopped at her lips unsounded”
  • “unspoken grief”
  • “choking exasperation and wordless shame” Thomas Wolfe
Synonyms
Similar
2.

lacking power of speech

Synonyms
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3.

unable to speak because of hereditary deafness

Synonyms
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noun

1.
2.

a device used to soften the tone of a musical instrument

verb

1.

Origin

From Middle English muet, from Anglo-Norman muet, moet, Middle French muet, from mu (“dumb, mute”) + -et, remodelled after Latin mūtus.

Phrases

  • I'm mute
  • mute as a mouse
  • mute cancel
  • mute cornett
  • mute e
  • mute h
  • mute list
  • mute of malice
  • mute point
  • mute swan
  • plunger mute

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.