muffle

M3U1F4F4L1E1
/mʌfl̩/

noun

Anything that mutes or deadens sound.

Similar
smotherstiflestranglerepressmutedulldampdampen
OriginMiddle English muflen ← Anglo-Norman amoufler ← Old French enmoufler →
UncommonScrabble 14
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Meanings

nounmuffle (plural muffles)

plural muffles

  1. Anything that mutes or deadens sound.
  2. A warm piece of clothing for the hands.
  3. archaicslangA boxing glove.
    1 more example

    N.B.—Mr Broughton proposes, with proper assistance, to open an academy at his house in the Haymarket, for the instruction of those who are willing to be initiated in the mystery of boxing: […] muffles are provided, that will effectually secure them from the inconveniency of black eyes, broken jaws, and bloody noses.

    1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC
  4. A kiln or furnace, often electric, with no direct flames (a muffle furnace)
  5. The bare end of the nose between the nostrils, especially in ruminants.
  6. A machine with two pulleys to hoist load by spinning wheels, polyspast, block and tackle.
verbmuffle (third-person singular simple present muffles, present participle muffling, simple past and past participle muffled)

present singular third person muffles · participle present muffling · participle past muffled · past muffled

  1. transitiveTo wrap (a person, face etc.) in fabric or another covering, for warmth or protection; often with up.

    He muffled with a cloud his mournful eyes.

    1700, [John] Dryden, “Ceyx and Alcone”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC
    2 more examples

    The face lies muffled up within the garment.

    1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, (please specify the page)

    It is much to the Honour of our Engliſh VVives, that they have never given up that fundamental Point [the "right of cuckoldom"]; and that tho' in former Ages they vvere muffled up in Darkneſs and Superſtition, yet that Notion ſeem'd engraven on their Minds, and the Impreſſion ſo ſtrong, that nothing could impair it.

    1712, Humphry Polesworth [pseudonym; John Arbuthnot], “Mrs. Bull’s Vindication of the Indispensable Duty of Cuckoldom, Incumbent upon Wives, incase of the Tyranny, Infidelity, or Insufficiency of Husbands: Being a Full Answer to the Doctor’s Sermon against Adultery”, in John Bull in His Senses: Being the Second Part of Law is a Bottomless-Pit. […], Edinburgh: […] James Watson, […], →OCLC, page 7
  2. transitiveTo wrap up or cover (a source of noise) in order to deaden the sound.

    to muffle the strings of a drum, or that part of an oar which rests in the rowlock

    1 more example

    I intend to muffle the sweeps and row the schooner up to the head of the creek there, from which point we can command the pile of sandal-wood with our gun.

    1858, R M Ballantyne, The Coral Island
  3. transitiveTo mute or deaden (a sound etc.).

    The singer's voice was muffled by the thick walls, yet Tyrion knew the verse.

    1999, George R.R. Martin, A Clash of Kings, Bantam, published 2011, page 397
  4. datedintransitiveTo speak indistinctly, or without clear articulation.
  5. datedtransitiveTo prevent seeing, or hearing, or speaking, by wraps bound about the head; to blindfold; to deafen.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbsuppress in order to conceal or hide

Similar
smotherstiflestranglerepress
Broader
inhibitbottle upsuppress

verbdeaden (a sound or noise), especially by wrapping

Similar
mutedulldampdampentone down
Broader
soften
Also see
block and tackledampdampendullmutepolyspastrepresssmotherstammerstiflestrangletone down

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Frankish*molfell“soft garment made of hide”
  2. Proto-Germanic*fellą“skin, film, fleece”
  3. Proto-Germanic*mawwō“sleeve”
  4. Frankish*muffël“a muff, wrap, envelope”
  5. Germanic
  6. Medieval Latinmuffula“a muff”
  7. Old Frenchenmoufler“to wrap up, muffle”
  8. Anglo-Normanamoufler
  9. Middle Englishmuflen“to muffle”
  10. Englishmuffle

From Middle English muflen (“to muffle”), aphetic alteration of Anglo-Norman amoufler, from Old French enmoufler (“to wrap up, muffle”), from moufle (“mitten”), from Medieval Latin muffula (“a muff”), of Germanic origin (—first recorded in the Capitulary of Aachen in 817 C.E.), from Frankish *muffël (“a muff, wrap, envelope”) from *mauwa (“sleeve, wrap”) (from Proto-Germanic *mawwō (“sleeve”)) + *vël (“skin, hide”) (from Proto-Germanic *fellą (“skin, film, fleece”). Alternate etymology traces the Medieval Latin word to Frankish *molfell (“soft garment made of hide”) from *mol (“softened, forworn”) (akin to Old High German molawēn (“to soften”), Middle High German molwic (“soft”), English mulch) + *fell (“hide, skin”).

More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Old French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian заглушител, ръкавица
  • заглушител (zaglušitel)Anything that mutes or deadens sound
  • ръкавица (răkavica)A warm piece of clothing for the hands
  • увивам се (uvivam se)To wrap up for warmth, protection or security
  • загръщам се (zagrăštam se)To wrap up for warmth, protection or security
  • заглушавам (zaglušavam)To mute or deaden
Catalan embolicar, emboçar
  • embolicarTo wrap up for warmth, protection or security
  • emboçarTo wrap up for warmth, protection or security
  • esmorteirTo mute or deaden
Dutch dempen
  • dempenTo mute or deaden
Finnish äänenvaimennin, äänenvaimennin
  • äänenvaimenninAnything that mutes or deadens sound
  • äänenvaimenninA kiln or furnace, often electric, with no direct flames
  • kietoaTo wrap up for warmth, protection or security
  • vaimentaaTo mute or deaden
  • hiljentääTo mute or deaden
French couvrir, emmitoufler
  • couvrirTo wrap up for warmth, protection or security
  • emmitouflerTo wrap up for warmth, protection or security
  • assourdirTo mute or deaden
  • étoufferTo mute or deaden
Hungarian tompító, bebugyolál
  • tompítóAnything that mutes or deadens sound
  • bebugyolálTo wrap up for warmth, protection or security
  • tompítTo mute or deaden
Irish cumhdaigh, plúch
  • cumhdaighTo wrap up for warmth, protection or security
  • plúchTo mute or deaden
Māori whakangenengene, whakatāmate
  • whakangenengeneTo wrap up for warmth, protection or security
  • whakatāmateTo mute or deaden
  • whakahaumūmūTo mute or deaden
Norwegian demper, muffe
  • demperAnything that mutes or deadens sound
  • muffeA warm piece of clothing for the hands
  • dempeTo mute or deaden
Polish tłumić, stłumić
  • tłumićTo mute or deaden
  • stłumićTo mute or deaden
Portuguese abafar, cobrir
  • abafarTo wrap up for warmth, protection or security
  • cobrirTo wrap up for warmth, protection or security
  • abafarTo mute or deaden
Russian глуши́тель, рукави́ца
  • глуши́тель (glušítelʹ)Anything that mutes or deadens sound
  • рукави́ца (rukavíca)A warm piece of clothing for the hands
  • глуши́ть (glušítʹ)To mute or deaden
  • заглуши́ть (zaglušítʹ)To mute or deaden
  • заглушать (zaglušatʹ)To mute or deaden
  • приглуши́ть (priglušítʹ)To mute or deaden
Slovak muf
  • mufA warm piece of clothing for the hands
Spanish mufla, asordinar
  • muflaA kiln or furnace, often electric, with no direct flames
  • asordinarTo mute or deaden

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with muffle

shuffleduffelruffletrufflereshufflescufflekerfufflebuffleflufflescrufflesnufflewhuffleZarrow shuffle
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

muffle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/muffle

MLA

“muffle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/muffle. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “muffle,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/muffle.

Source: muffle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.