Definition

1. Verb:

   • To speak quietly and unclearly: To utter words in a low, soft, and indistinct manner, often making them difficult to understand.
   • To chew ineffectively: To chew food slowly and without teeth, using the gums.

2. Noun:

   • A quiet, unclear utterance: A soft, indistinct sound or series of words produced when speaking.

Examples

• Verb:

  • He tends to mumble when he's nervous, so it's hard to catch what he's saying.
  • The baby can only mumble her food since she doesn't have teeth yet.

• Noun:

  • I heard a low mumble from the next room but couldn't make out any words.
  • His apology was nothing more than an embarrassed mumble.

Advanced Usage

• "to mumble something under one's breath": to say something very quietly in a complaining or reluctant way, typically not intended to be heard clearly by others.
  • She mumbled her objections under her breath during the meeting.

Variants and Related Words

• Mumbler (noun): A person who mumbles.

  • He's a notorious mumbler; you have to ask him to repeat himself constantly.

• Mumbling (noun/adj): The action or sound of mumbling; speaking in a mumbling manner.

  • His constant mumbling was distracting.

Synonyms

• Mutter: To speak in a low, often angry or complaining voice, which may also be indistinct.
• Murmur: To speak or make a sound in a soft, low, and continuous voice.

Related Phrasal Verbs/Phrases

• Mumble on: To continue speaking in a mumbling manner, often at length.
  • He just mumbled on about his problems without getting to the point.

Related Idioms

Noun

1. a soft indistinct utterance

Verb

1. grind with the gums; chew without teeth and with great difficulty
   • the old man had no teeth left and mumbled his food
2. talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice