mute

C2+ Topic:Communication

US /mjut/ UK /mjuːt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
refraining from or unable to produce speech or sound

She stood mute with shock at the news.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · refraining from or unable... silent speechless voiceless dumbwordlessnoiseless taciturn

Opposites

vocal talkative loud audible voiced

Word family

Forms muted

Derived forms mutelymutenessmuted

Related forms mutter

Etymology

From Middle English muet, from Old French muet ('dumb, mute'), diminutive of mu, from Latin mutus ('silent, dumb'), of imitative origin (compare the inarticulate sound 'mu').

muet Old French mutus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Communication

External links

# mute

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /mjut/
**IPA (UK):** /mjuːt/

## Meanings
1. refraining from or unable to produce speech or sound

## Examples
- She stood mute with shock at the news.

## Synonyms
- silent
- speechless
- voiceless
- dumb
- wordless
- noiseless
- taciturn

## Antonyms
- vocal
- talkative
- loud
- audible
- voiced

## Derived Forms
- mutely
- muteness
- muted

## Related Forms
- mutter

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: muet
- Root: mutus

## Etymology
From Middle English muet, from Old French muet ('dumb, mute'), diminutive of mu, from Latin mutus ('silent, dumb'), of imitative origin (compare the inarticulate sound 'mu').

## AI Etymology
Mute is from Middle English muet, from Old French muet ('dumb, mute'), diminutive of mu, from Latin mutus ('silent, dumb'), of imitative origin (compare the inarticulate sound 'mu'). Important recorded forms include muet (Old French) and mutus (Latin). The current sense covers refraining from or unable to produce speech or sound. The wider family includes derived forms such as mutely, muteness, and muted and related words such as mutter.

## Topics
- Communication

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