mute
11
9.8
- adjective
- /mjuːt/
- Offensive
:
mudo (arcaico, ofensivo)
- She has been mute since birth, unable to express herself through spoken words.
- deaf-mute
Lucky has been made mute but has given permission by his master Potso to speak.
- Lucky has been made mute but has given permission by his master Potso to speak.
Examples
-
I'm reminded of when they brought Jesus the mute boy who had convulsions.
Blog text (11) -
On the martyrs’ feast day, a deaf and mute boy who served as doorkeeper suddenly arose and entered the church.
Academic text (2018) -
I knew she was mute, but now I'm thinking it's more than that.
Fiction book (1993) -
You aren't mute, are you?
-
I passed him the clipboard, thinking he was mute, and he attempted to write down some answers.
Blog text (21) -
Carla is mute with terror for a beat, but manages to get out the words: Carla.
Fiction book (1995) -
He is mute.
-
She's mute, not deaf.
-
Indeed, many of the rural characters Wordsworth depicts in Lyrical Ballads are mute.
Academic text (2016) -
In the old tale, the prince was mute and could only communicate through gestures.
Synonyms
7
5.8
People who cannot speak or whose opinions others do not hear
Antonyms
Compounds
How Talkative
- Formal
17
6.8
478
2.1
- US
69
2.1
4
5.3
- Offensive
11
9.8
Surface Forms
Etymology
Mute comes from the Latin mutus 'silent' and used to mean unable to speak, often because of deafness; this sense is now old-fashioned and can be offensive, so people use other words today.