mute
[adjective]
Synonyms: silent, dumb, mum, speechless, unspoken, voiceless, wordless

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Contrasted words: articulate, eloquent, fluent, glib, vocal, voluble

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. mute¹ /mjuːt/ adjective
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: muet, from Latin mutus]

1. written someone who is mute does not speak, or refuses to speak Synonym : silent:
Billy continued to stand there, mute and defiant.

2. old-fashioned someone who is mute is unable to speak
—mutely adverb

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. mute² verb [transitive]

1. formal to make the sound of something quieter, or make it disappear completely:
Excess noise can be reduced by muting alarms and telephones.

2. to make a musical instrument sound softer

3. formal to reduce the level of criticism, protest, discussion etc that is happening:
The incident so shocked all the students that it muted further protest.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. mute³ noun [countable]

1. a small piece of metal, rubber etc that you place over or into a musical instrument to make it sound softer

2. old-fashioned someone who cannot speak
⇒ deaf mute

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲