Spanish word

murmurar

Pronunciation

IPA/muɾmuˈɾaɾ/

Meaning

  • verbmutter

Example

Él murmura cuando está cansado.

He mutters when he's tired.

Illustration for murmurar (mutter)

More examples

Los vecinos murmuran entre dientes sobre la decisión.

The neighbors mutter under their breath about the decision.

Core concept

Soft, barely audible grumble under the breath.

Common phrases

  • murmurar entre dientes

    mutter under one's breath

  • murmurar al oído

    whisper in someone's ear

Similar words

susurrar: Conveys words in a soft, intimate whisper aimed at a close listener.
musitar: Lets out very faint, brief whispery words or fragments barely heard.
mascullar: Speaks indistinctly through partly closed lips, creating slurred, muffled speech.

Definition in Spanish

Hablar en voz muy baja o entre dientes, frecuentemente para expresar una queja breve o un comentario que no se quiere hacer público.

Word origin

Derived from Latin murmurare, where murmur- imitates a low repeated sound, Spanish murmurar keeps the idea of speaking in a low voice to complain or say something not meant for others to hear.

Usage tips

  • Murmurar normally implies complaint or secret criticism rather than a neutral whisper, so occurrences of the verb usually point to discontent or side remarks.

Other meanings

  • whisperverb
  • complainverb

Opposites

Related words

  • murmuraciónmurmuringnoun
  • murmuradormurmurernoun

Word lists with this word