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mumble en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈmʊmbəl/ (Northern-England)
• /ˈmʌmbəl/
• (US) audio

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”).

Meanings

1. A quiet or unintelligible vocalization; a low tone of voice.
   • All I could hear was a mumble from the next room.
   • He spoke in a barely comprehensible mumble.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
mumbles	Number=Plur		lexicographic

Deriveds

mumble-bee

Translations (20)

it borbottio (quiet vocalization) · it farfugliamento (quiet vocalization) · da mumlen (quiet vocalization) · es balbucencia (quiet vocalization) · ar غَمْغَمَة (quiet vocalization) · de Murmeln (quiet vocalization) · es balbuceo (quiet vocalization) · ta முணுமுணுப்பு (quiet vocalization) · no mumling (quiet vocalization) · hu motyogás (quiet vocalization) · fi mumina (quiet vocalization) · ru бормота́ние (quiet vocalization) · es mascujada (quiet vocalization) · it balbettio (quiet vocalization) · cmn 低語 /低语 (quiet vocalization) · it mugugno (quiet vocalization) · it biascicamento (quiet vocalization) · cs mumlání (quiet vocalization) · pl mamrotanie (quiet vocalization) · bg мънкане (quiet vocalization)

mumble en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈmʊmbəl/ (Northern-England)
• /ˈmʌmbəl/
• (US) audio

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”).

Meanings

1. (intransitive, transitive) To speak unintelligibly or inaudibly; to fail to articulate.
   • Please try not to mumble so I can hear you better.
   • Peace, you mumbling fool. c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v]:
   • A wrinkled hag, with age grown double, / Picking dry sticks, and mumbling to herself. 1680, Thomas Otway, The Orphan:
2. To chew something gently with closed lips.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
mumbled	Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part		lexicographic
mumbled	Tense=Past		lexicographic
mumbling	Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part		lexicographic
mumbles	Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres		lexicographic

Deriveds

mumblingly · mumble rap · mumbly · mumble-matins · mumblement · mumblage · jerrycummumble · mismumble · mumblety peg · mumblecore · mumbler · mumblenews · mumblesome

Translations (54)

it farfugliare (to speak unintelligibly) · es mascujar (to speak unintelligibly) · hu motyog (to speak unintelligibly) · de murmeln (to speak unintelligibly) · izh popottaa (to speak unintelligibly) · pt murmurar (to speak unintelligibly) · fo mutla (to speak unintelligibly) · no mumle (to speak unintelligibly) · es mamullar (to speak unintelligibly) · bg фъфля (to speak unintelligibly) · ta முணுமுணு (to speak unintelligibly) · ja 呟く (to speak unintelligibly) · ru мя́млить (to speak unintelligibly) · fi mutista (to speak unintelligibly) · es mascullar (to speak unintelligibly) · id bergumam (to speak unintelligibly) · uk ми́мрити (to speak unintelligibly) · nl mompelen (to speak unintelligibly) · de nuscheln (to speak unintelligibly) · ms gumam (to speak unintelligibly) · mi whakameme (to speak unintelligibly) · ru бормота́ть (to speak unintelligibly) · ru пробормота́ть (to speak unintelligibly) · fi mongertaa (to speak unintelligibly) · eo murmuri (to speak unintelligibly) · ja 囁く (to speak unintelligibly) · mi pararāwaha (to speak unintelligibly) · uz ming’irlamoq (to speak unintelligibly) · es balbucear (to speak unintelligibly) · it balbettare (to speak unintelligibly) · vi lí nhí (to speak unintelligibly) · lt murmėti (to speak unintelligibly) · is muldra (to speak unintelligibly) · th พึมพำ (to speak unintelligibly) · bg мънкам (to speak unintelligibly) · bcl kimutkimot (to speak unintelligibly) · pl mamrotać (to speak unintelligibly) · it mugugnare (to speak unintelligibly) · mi whakahāhā (to speak unintelligibly) · cmn 咕噥 /咕哝 (to speak unintelligibly) · mi nanu (to speak unintelligibly) · es balbucir (to speak unintelligibly) · ru промя́млить (to speak unintelligibly) · gd brunndail (to speak unintelligibly) · fi mumista (to speak unintelligibly) · de mümmeln (to chew something gently with closed lips) · sv mumla (to speak unintelligibly) · fr marmonner (to speak unintelligibly) · cs mumlat (to speak unintelligibly) · mk мумла (to speak unintelligibly) · it borbottare (to speak unintelligibly) · da mumle (to speak unintelligibly) · fo mølma (to speak unintelligibly) · it biascicare (to speak unintelligibly)