mumble

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈmʌmbəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #23666

Meanings

1

verb
To speak quietly and unclearly so people cannot understand you.

Please don't mumble so I can hear what you are saying.
2

noun
A quiet, unclear way of speaking.

All I could hear was a mumble from the next room.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to speak quietly and... mutter

Word family

Forms mumbledmumblesmumbling

Derived forms jerrycummumblemismumblemumblagemumble-matinsmumblecoremumblementmumblenewsmumblermumblesomemumblinglymumbly

Etymology

From Middle English momelen, a frequentative of mum (sense 3) (“silent”). Compare German mümmeln, Middle Dutch mommelen and Dutch mompelen. Perhaps related to Norwegian Nynorsk mumpa (“to gum, to chew without teeth”).

momelen Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# mumble

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈmʌmbəl/
**Frequency rank:** 23666

## Meanings
1. To speak quietly and unclearly so people cannot understand you.
2. A quiet, unclear way of speaking.

## Examples
- Please don't mumble so I can hear what you are saying.
- All I could hear was a mumble from the next room.

## Derived Forms
- jerrycummumble
- mismumble
- mumblage
- mumble-matins
- mumblecore
- mumblement
- mumblenews
- mumbler
- mumblesome
- mumblingly
- mumbly

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: momelen

## Etymology
From Middle English momelen, a frequentative of mum (sense 3) (“silent”). Compare German mümmeln, Middle Dutch mommelen and Dutch mompelen. Perhaps related to Norwegian Nynorsk mumpa (“to gum, to chew without teeth”).

## AI Etymology
Mumble comes from Middle English momelen, a frequentative of mum (sense 3) (“silent”). Compare German mümmeln, Middle Dutch mommelen and Dutch mompelen. Perhaps related to Norwegian Nynorsk mumpa (“to gum, to chew without teeth”). In present-day English its meanings include to speak quietly and unclearly so people cannot understand you and a quiet, unclear way of speaking. Related and derived forms include jerrycummumble, mismumble, and mumblage.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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