mute
mute — adjective
- mutepositive
- mutercomparative
- mutestsuperlative
1. not producing any sound or refusing to speak; choosing to stay quiet instead of
not producing any sound or refusing to speak; choosing to stay quiet instead of expressing your thoughts or feelings.
Baraka remained mute throughout the meeting, even when the manager asked for his opinion.
mute as predicative adjective with 'remain'
The two old friends exchanged a mute hug on the station platform before the train left.
mute as attributive adjective describing an action without words
The audience fell silent when the pianist began to play the slow piece.
His mute refusal to answer any questions made the police officer suspicious.
- silent
more general term; 'silent' can describe people, places, or things that make no sound
- speechless
temporary inability to speak due to shock or strong emotion, not a deliberate choice
- tight-lipped
informal; deliberately refusing to speak about something specific
用法筆記
This sense describes a temporary or deliberate absence of speech, not a permanent inability. 'Mute' is more emphatic than 'quiet' and suggests a conscious choice or strong emotion.
常見錯誤
2. a dated medical label for a person who cannot speak — now felt as dehumanising a
a dated medical label for a person who cannot speak — now felt as dehumanising and insulting. Modern alternatives include 'nonverbal' or 'speech-impaired.'
In nineteenth-century hospital records, a patient who could not speak was often described as mute.
historical/medical context — now offensive
The old asylum register listed a child as mute — a label no medical record would use today.
A character in the Victorian novel was called a mute, which modern readers find very offensive.
Advocacy groups campaign to remove the word mute from archives where it labels people.
Teachers explain that calling someone a mute is as bad as using other old discriminatory labels.
- speech-impaired
modern, respectful term; focuses on the condition without defining the person
- nonverbal
modern term; often used for individuals who communicate without spoken language
用法筆記
DO NOT use this sense to describe a person. It is now considered extremely offensive, similar to other outdated medical labels that were used to define people by their disability. Use 'nonverbal,' 'speech-impaired,' or describe the specific condition instead.
常見錯誤
mute — noun
- mutesingular
- mutesplural
1. a small device placed inside or attached to a musical instrument such as a trump
a small device placed inside or attached to a musical instrument such as a trumpet, violin, or trombone, which changes the sound by making it softer or giving it a different tone quality.
Lukas forgot his mute at home, so the trumpet solo sounded much louder than expected.
mute as a physical accessory for an instrument
The jazz trumpeter inserted a metal mute into the bell and played a soft, distant-sounding melody.
Omar bought a practice mute for his violin so he could play late at night.
Without a mute, the brass section sounds much brighter and fills the concert hall.
文法句型
mute for [instrument]
用法筆記
Different instruments use different types of mutes. Brass mutes are inserted into the bell, while string mutes are clipped onto the bridge. The word is countable: 'a mute' / 'two mutes.'
常見錯誤
2. a button, switch, or icon on a phone, TV remote, computer, or other electronic d
a button, switch, or icon on a phone, TV remote, computer, or other electronic device that turns off the sound instantly.
Felix pressed the mute on his remote control as soon as the advertisement started playing.
press the mute (button) on a remote
The mute on the classroom speaker system was broken, so every noise came through loudly.
Talia hit the mute on her phone before entering the cinema to avoid disturbing others.
Many video players put the mute icon in the bottom corner of the screen.
- silence button
less common; more literal but perfectly understandable
- volume up
increases sound instead of stopping it
文法句型
the mute
press the mute (button)
用法筆記
Often used with 'press,' 'hit,' 'tap,' or 'click': 'press the mute,' 'tap the mute icon.' The definite article ('the mute') is common: 'I can't find the mute.'
3. the state or condition of a microphone, phone, or other device being silenced so
the state or condition of a microphone, phone, or other device being silenced so that no sound comes out or is transmitted.
Hyun's microphone was on mute, so nobody in the video call could hear his question.
on mute — describes the state of a device
Please put your phones on mute while the teacher is explaining today's lesson.
put [device] on mute — common instruction pattern
The TV was on mute during dinner, but the family kept an eye on the subtitles.
Vivek realised his laptop was still on mute after the online exam had already started.
- silent mode
more common for phones; 'silent mode' typically disables ringtone but not all sounds
- silenced
adjective describing the result, not the state
- unmuted
the opposite state, where sound is active
文法句型
on mute
put [device] on mute
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively in the fixed phrase 'on mute' + 'put/turn (something) on mute.' This is different from the noun meaning 'mute button' — here it describes a state, not the physical control.
常見錯誤
4. an extremely offensive word used in the past to refer to a person who cannot spe
an extremely offensive word used in the past to refer to a person who cannot speak. This term is no longer acceptable in modern English and causes serious offence.
The historical novel used the word mute to describe a character who communicated through sign language.
literary/historical context only — not acceptable in modern use
Medical records from the 1920s sometimes classified patients as deaf-mutes, a label now considered deeply disrespectful.
historical medical usage — never use today
The charity's old name contained the word mute, but they changed it years ago.
An elderly relative mentioned being called a mute at school, and the memory still upset them.
A museum display about 19th-century medicine included the term mute alongside other outdated labels.
用法筆記
WARNING: This is one of the most offensive words in English when used to describe a person. Never refer to anyone as 'a mute' or 'mutes.' Acceptable alternatives include 'a person who does not speak,' 'a nonverbal person,' or 'a person with a speech disability.'
常見錯誤
mute — verb
- mutepresent simple I / you / we / they
- mutes3rd person singular
- muting-ing form
- mutedpast simple
1. to reduce or stop any sound coming from a device, a musical instrument, or any o
to reduce or stop any sound coming from a device, a musical instrument, or any other source — for example, muting a phone, a TV, or the noise of traffic outside a window.
Sirin muted the television when the doorbell rang so she could hear who was outside.
mute + device (television) in a concrete scenario
Talia muted her phone before the movie started in the cinema.
The loud construction noise was partly muted by the thick double-glazed windows of the apartment.
Vivek muted the video game console so his younger brother could sleep in the next room.
Please mute your laptop during the online presentation to avoid feedback and echo.
- silence
slightly more formal; 'silence your phone' is common in announcements
- turn off the sound
more informal and wordy; common in spoken language
文法句型
mute + noun (device / noise / sound)
用法筆記
This is the most common sense of the verb 'mute.' It is used in both casual and formal contexts. The object is almost always an electronic device or an undesirable noise.
常見錯誤
2. to switch off the microphone of a person during a video call or online meeting s
to switch off the microphone of a person during a video call or online meeting so that others cannot hear them.
The meeting host muted everyone in the conference call to reduce background noise.
mute + person in a conference setting
Ignacio accidentally muted himself while trying to unmute and could not answer the question.
reflexive: mute oneself — common mistake pattern
Aaron muted his colleague who had a loud dog barking in the background.
The teacher muted each student's microphone except for the one who was presenting.
- silence
possible but less common in video-call contexts; 'mute' is the standard term
- unmute
the exact opposite — restore someone's audio
文法句型
mute + person
mute + participant
mute + microphone
用法筆記
This sense emerged with video conferencing tools (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet) and is now extremely common. The object can be a person, a participant, or a microphone. 'Unmute' is the direct opposite.
常見錯誤
❌ 'I muted the TV so people on the call could hear me.' (wrong sense — you muted the TV, not a person on the call.)
3. to attach or insert a mute device onto a musical instrument so that the sound be
to attach or insert a mute device onto a musical instrument so that the sound becomes quieter or changes in quality.
The trumpeter muted his horn for the jazz ballad and removed the mute for the loud finale.
muted ... for / removed the mute — showing both actions
Brandon muted his trombone in the hotel room so the other guests would not complain.
The composer told the violins to mute their instruments for this section of the piece.
Orchestra players learn to mute and unmute their instruments quickly between passages.
- put a mute on
more informal; 'She put a mute on her trumpet'
- unmute
less common in musical contexts; musicians usually say 'remove the mute'
文法句型
mute + instrument
用法筆記
This sense is specific to musical performance. In orchestra scores, the Italian term 'con sordino' (with mute) is sometimes used instead of the English word. For brass instruments the mute is inserted into the bell; for strings it is clipped onto the bridge.
常見錯誤
❌ 'She muted the piano before playing.' — pianos do not typically use a removable mute; the correct term is 'use the soft pedal.'
4. to stop seeing a particular person's posts, messages, or updates on social media
to stop seeing a particular person's posts, messages, or updates on social media websites or apps without removing them from your friends or followers list.
Ananya muted her cousin's Instagram stories because they were posted too frequently.
mute + person on social media
Benjamin muted the group chat on WhatsApp to stop the constant notifications.
mute + group chat — common pattern
You can mute a user on Twitter and still follow their account without seeing their posts.
After the election, many people muted friends whose political opinions clashed with theirs.
- silence notifications
more general; works for phones and apps, not just social media
- snooze
temporary version of mute on some platforms (e.g. 30 days)
文法句型
mute + person
mute + account
用法筆記
This is a relatively new sense that became common with social media platforms (Twitter/X, Instagram, Facebook). Unlike 'block' or 'unfriend,' muting is invisible — the other person is not notified and remains connected to you.