mufflemuf‧fle /ˈmʌfəl/ verb [transitive] 
The falling snow muffled the sound of our footsteps. Her voice was muffled by the pillow in which she had hidden her face.2 (also muffle up) to cover yourself or another person with something thick and warm SYN wrap upbe muffled (up) in something Penelope arrived, muffled up in a thick coat.GRAMMAR Muffle is usually passive in this meaning.
WORD ORIGINmuffle
Origin:
1400-1500 Perhaps from Old French moufle ‘glove’, from Medieval Latin moffula; ➔ MUFF1VERB TABLE
muffle
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | muffle |
| he, she, it | muffles | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | muffled |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have muffled |
| he, she, it | has muffled | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had muffled |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will muffle |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have muffled |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am muffling |
| he, she, it | is muffling | |
| you, we, they | are muffling | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was muffling |
| you, we, they | were muffling | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been muffling |
| he, she, it | has been muffling | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been muffling |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be muffling |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been muffling |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- He dragged her into the car, putting his hand over her mouth to muffle her screams.
- John's voice was muffled by the door, and I couldn't tell what he was saying.
- The children were muffled up in thick coats.
- The falling snow muffled all sounds.
- The snow muffled the sound of the traffic.
- They might muffle his body and cover his face as they would, but they could not hide Harry Talvace from Aelis.
Longman Language Activatorto make someone or something quieter
British /quiet somebody down American to make someone quieter and calmer, when they are making a lot of noise because they are angry, excited, or upset: · I spent half the lesson trying to quieten them down.· Sue managed to quiet them both down and eventually stopped the argument.
especially written to make someone suddenly stop speaking: · I opened my mouth to speak but she silenced me with an angry look.· Partick was livid, but Jane squeezed his arm to silence him.
to make someone, especially a child, make less noise or make no noise at all, especially by telling them in a quiet voice to stop talking or crying: · I turned to Margaret but was hushed before I could open my mouth.· David hushed me. "Sh-h-h. You're not allowed to speak in here.''· She gave up trying to hush the baby and took him outside.
if something muffles a sound it makes it quieter and less clear: · The snow muffled the sound of the traffic.· He dragged her into the car, putting his hand over her mouth to muffle her screams.· John's voice was muffled by the door, and I couldn't tell what he was saying.
to make a television, radio etc quieter by moving or turning a button or control: turn something/it/them down: · Do you mind turning the radio down?· Turn that music down, you'll wake the whole street!turn down something: · She turned down the volume on the TV and picked up the phone.turn something right downBritish /turn something all the way down American (=make it as quiet as possible): · No wonder you can't hear anything -- you've turned your hearing aid right down.
informal to make someone be quiet, especially by speaking to them rudely or angrily: · Can't you shut those kids up?· The only way to shut her up is to give her something to eat.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY The falling snow muffled the sound of our footsteps. Her voice was muffled by the pillow in which she had hidden her face.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1to make a sound less loud and clear, especially by covering something: The falling snow muffled the sound of our footsteps. Her voice was muffled by the pillow in which she had hidden her face. (=that cannot be heard clearly)· I thought I heard a muffled cry from somewhere in the building.
(=one that is not heard very clearly)· We could just make out a muffled explosion from deep inside the mine.
(=made quieter, for example by putting a hand over someone’s mouth)· No one heard her muffled screams.
(=not clear)· Now there were muffled sounds of movement.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· Luiza and Freddi were there, Luiza muffled up in a huge and unflattering beaver lamb coat that had seen better days.· It had been dark, and the murderer muffled up.· It was still very cold and everyone was muffled up in coats and scarves and gloves.
NOUN· The snow drifted down, muffling the sounds of the party, the fireworks spluttering, falling damply into the dark night.· He listened to the muffled sound waver and fall in pitch, like a faraway siren.· The volume of the music muffled the sounds of the attack, and no-one heard her screams for help.· From the other side of the wall, she could hear the low muffled sounds of the television in the next room.· This method serves a dual function - it will absorb irregularities in the existing floorboards, and also muffle sound.· If Fen entered the galley for any reason, the curtain was not sufficient barrier to muffle the sound of sobbing.· She laughed hysterically, jamming her fingers into her mouth to muffle the sound.
· Her voice was muffled when she crawled under the oilcloth-covered table to search for Quimper bits.· Clayt did not turn to talk to Sinnett either; but his voice was not muffled.· Connors's voice was muffled but loud in the storm.· His voice was muffled by the glass.· The voice remains muffled and terse.
VERB· I could hear muffled conversation in the background.· Miguel could hear distant sirens, muffled screams, the chink and crackle of falling glass.· From under the house we heard some muffled taps and scraping.· From the other side of the wall, she could hear the low muffled sounds of the television in the next room.
The falling snow muffled the sound of our footsteps. Her voice was muffled by the pillow in which she had hidden her face.2 (also muffle up) to cover yourself or another person with something thick and warm SYN wrap upbe muffled (up) in something Penelope arrived, muffled up in a thick coat.GRAMMAR Muffle is usually passive in this meaning.