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mumble

MUM-buhl/ˈmʌmbəl/

Verbmumbles, mumbling, mumbled

Noun pluralmumbles

3 meanings of mumble

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  1. 1
    verbtransitive or intransitive
    To speak unclearly or too quietly to be understood, without forming the words distinctly.

    Teenagers often mumble when adults ask them direct questions.

    She mumbled the address so quietly that the driver missed the turn.

    Similarmutter, murmur, slur

    Oppositeenunciate, articulate

  2. 2
    nouncountable
    A low, indistinct vocalization, or a quiet tone of voice that is hard to make out.

    The crowd's anger died down to a discontented mumble.

    He gave only a mumble in response, so she asked the question again.

    Similarmutter, murmur

  3. 3
    verbtransitive
    To chew something softly with the lips kept together, as someone with weak teeth might.

    The baby mumbled a crust of bread with her toothless gums.

    Elderly patients sometimes mumble their food rather than chewing it firmly.

    Similargum

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Origin

From Middle English momelen, a frequentative of mum ("silent"), comparable to German mümmeln and Dutch mompelen. It is perhaps related to Norwegian Nynorsk mumpa ("to gum, to chew without teeth").