muttering

Pluralmutterings

1. 1
   verb

   Present participle of mutter.

   The old man kept muttering about the weather as he shuffled along.

   Muttering under her breath, she gathered her papers and left.

   Note

   The -ing form does double duty. As a participle it builds progressives with be (he was muttering) and opens clauses (Muttering under her breath, she left). As a gerund it names the act itself (muttering won't help). It also keeps the verb's non-speech meaning of a low, rumbling sound, so distant thunder can be heard muttering. Once it takes a plural or an article, it has become the noun for muttered words.

2. 2
   nouncountable or uncountable

   Words spoken in a low, indistinct voice, often a complaint or grumble not meant to be heard clearly.

   A low muttering ran through the crowd as the decision was announced.

   Her muttering betrayed how unhappy she was with the new schedule.

   Similargrumbling, murmuring, mumbling

   Note

   Countable when the words come as separate scraps: you catch a few of someone's mutterings, and the plural stands for fragments only half overheard. Used without a plural, it names the low sound of grumbling, often from a whole crowd at once. From discontent that is heard but not quite understood it is a short step to the sense of rumor.

3. 3
   nouncountable or uncountable

   A rumor; unverified talk passing quietly among people, often hinting at trouble or change to come.

   There was muttering at court that the king intended to remarry.

   Mutterings of an impending strike spread quickly across the factory floor.

   Similarrumor, talk, gossip, whisper

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