mumbling
Speaking without clarity
Mumbling is speaking in a low, indistinct voice, often with the mouth partially closed so words run together: Stop mumbling and speak up.
Someone who mumbles may be nervous, embarrassed, or simply not making an effort to be understood.
The word can also describe any low, indistinct sound: the mumbling of distant thunder.
Soft, indistinct continuous sound
- mutterSpeak low and indistinctly
- slurringIndistinct, blurred speech
- stammeringInvoluntary speech repetition
- stutteringInvoluntary speech disfluency
babbling · garbling · drawling · drone · monotone · faltering · halting · hesitant
Muttering in discontent
- grousingHabitual petty complaining
- gripingVoicing persistent complaints
- mutteringQuiet, unclear speech
- moaningProlonged sound of distress
whining · groaning · carping · grouching · bellyaching · kvetching · dissatisfied · disgruntled
Made quieter, less distinct
- indistinctUnclear, hard to perceive
- unintelligibleImpossible to understand
- faintWeak and indistinct
- softYielding to touch
low · garbled · unclear · blurred · obscure · vague · jumbled · inaudibility
State of anxious unease
- self-consciousnessUncomfortable awareness of oneself
- embarrassmentSelf-conscious unease
- shynessTendency toward social timidity
- anxietyPersistent apprehensive distress
hesitation · awkwardness · timidity · unease · apprehension · insecurity · flustered · fidgeting
Avoiding direct response
- noncommittalNot expressing clear opinion
- vagueUnclear, ill-defined
- hedgingNoncommittal maneuvering
- dodgingAvoiding by moving aside
sidestepping · unclear · equivocating · cagey · guarded · reluctant · withholding · secretive
murmur
Soft, indistinct continuous sound
- mutterSpeak low and indistinctly
- slurringIndistinct, blurred speech
- stammeringInvoluntary speech repetition
stuttering · babbling · garbling · drawling · drone · monotone · faltering · halting · hesitant · rambling
grumbling
Muttering in discontent
- grousingHabitual petty complaining
- gripingVoicing persistent complaints
- mutteringQuiet, unclear speech
moaning · whining · groaning · carping · grouching · bellyaching · kvetching · dissatisfied · disgruntled · discontented
muffled
Made quieter, less distinct
- indistinctUnclear, hard to perceive
- unintelligibleImpossible to understand
- faintWeak and indistinct
soft · low · garbled · unclear · blurred · obscure · vague · jumbled · inaudibility · unarticulated
nervousness
State of anxious unease
- self-consciousnessUncomfortable awareness of oneself
- embarrassmentSelf-conscious unease
- shynessTendency toward social timidity
anxiety · hesitation · awkwardness · timidity · unease · apprehension · insecurity · flustered · fidgeting · stammering
evasive
Avoiding direct response
- noncommittalNot expressing clear opinion
- vagueUnclear, ill-defined
- hedgingNoncommittal maneuvering
dodging · sidestepping · unclear · equivocating · cagey · guarded · reluctant · withholding · secretive · furtive
- gibberishgibberish, nonsense, babble, babbling, drivel
- presentation mistakesstage fright, nervousness, forgetting lines, rushing, monotone voice
- vocalizationsspeak, speaking, talking, whisper, shout
- speech clarityarticulation, diction, enunciation, slurred speech, prosody
- speech problemsstuttering, stammering, slurring, slurred words, disfluency
- timiditybashfulness, shyness, timidness, timorousness, meekness
mumblingenunciating
Pronouncing with clarity
articulating · enunciation · articulate · fluent · eloquent
mumblingshouting
Vocally projecting loudly
yelling · bellowing · projecting · booming · thundering
mumblingforthright
Directly honest in manner
declaring · speaking out · direct · outspoken · unhesitating