[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/muffled/)

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# muffled

verb form (past tense and past participle of muffle: muffle, muffles, muffled, muffling); adjective (muffled)

«muffled» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (adjective) Quiet and unclear because something is in the way, as in "a muffled voice". [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muffled/#m1)
2. Made a sound quieter by covering it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muffled/#m2)
3. Wrapped up warmly, as in "muffled up in scarves". [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muffled/#m3)

### In the lessons

Used in science (sound travels less well through soft materials, which absorb it) and a lot in stories to build mystery: "a muffled cry", "muffled footsteps", "muffled voices behind the door". Phrases: "muffled up", "a muffled sound".

### Examples

- I heard muffled voices from the next room. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muffled/#x1)
- Her answer was muffled because her face was in the pillow. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muffled/#x2)
- The snow muffled the sound of our footsteps. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muffled/#x3)
- There was a muffled thump in the attic. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muffled/#x4)
- We wrapped the alarm clock in a towel and its ring was muffled. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muffled/#x5)
- The children were muffled up in coats and scarves. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muffled/#x6)
- In science we tested which materials muffled sound best. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muffled/#x7)
- A queer sound could be heard, soft as a little bell, and faint and muffled like the buzz of a far-away mosquito. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muffled/#x8)

### Note

Spelling: double f. Adjective use is the most common ("a muffled shout"). Related: "muffler" (an old word for a scarf; in the US, the part of a car that makes the engine quieter).

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «muffled» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/muffled/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«muffled» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/muffled.html) on Mova free.