mumbling

From the verb mumble: (⇒ conjugate)

mumbling is: ⓘ

v pres p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

mum•ble /ˈmʌmbəl/   v., -bled, -bling, n. 
v. 

1. to say or speak in a soft manner that is hard to understand: [no object]
   He tended to mumble.
   [~ + object]
   He mumbled a few words that I couldn't understand.
   [used with quotations]
   "I'm sorry,'' he mumbled.

n. [countable]

2. a soft, indistinct utterance or sound.

mum•bler, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

mum•ble  (mum′bəl), v., -bled, -bling, n. 
v.i. 

1. to speak in a low indistinct manner, almost to an unintelligible extent;
   mutter.
2. to chew ineffectively, as from loss of teeth:
   to mumble on a crust.

v.t. 

3. to say or utter indistinctly, as with partly closed lips:
   He mumbled something about expenses.
4. to chew, or try to eat, with difficulty, as from loss of teeth.

n. 

5. a low, indistinct utterance or sound.

• 1275–1325; Middle English momelen, equivalent. to mom(me) mum¹ + -elen -le; compare Dutch mommelen, German mummeln

mum′bler, n. 
mum′bling•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 1, 3. See murmur. 

Antonyms

• 1. articulate.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

mumble / ˈmʌmb^əl/ verb

1. to utter indistinctly, as with the mouth partly closed; mutter
2. to chew (food) ineffectually or with difficulty

noun

1. an indistinct or low utterance or sound

Etymology: 14th Century momelen, from mum²

ˈmumbler noun

ˈmumbling adjective

ˈmumblingly adverb