<p><strong>Adjective:</strong></p><ul><li>silent; refraining from speech or utterance.</li><li>not emitting or having sound of any kind.</li><li>incapable of speech (offensive when applied to humans): Animals are mute and are only able to speak in fairy tales and fables.</li><li>(of letters) silent; not pronounced: The mute “e” in the word “dime” makes the preceding vowel long, so it is not pronounced like “dim.”</li><li>Law: (of a person who has been arraigned) making no plea or giving an irrelevant response when arraigned, or refusing to stand trial (used chiefly in the phrase to stand mute).</li><li>Fox Hunting: (of a hound) hunting a line without giving tongue or cry.</li></ul><p><strong>Noun:</strong></p><ul><li>Offensive: a person incapable of speech.</li><li>an actor whose part is confined to dumb show.</li><li>Law: a person who stands mute when arraigned.</li><li>a mechanical device of various shapes and materials for muffling the tone of a musical instrument.</li><li>Phonetics: (especially in older use) stop.</li><li>British Obsolete: a hired mourner at a funeral; a professional mourner.</li></ul><p><strong>Verb (used with object):</strong></p><ul><li>to deaden or muffle the sound of: The music was a little muted by distance and the trees.</li><li>to turn off (a microphone, a speaker, or audio): During the commercials, they muted the TV and discussed the game. Check the mic icon to make sure you're not muted.</li><li>to reduce the intensity of (a color) by the addition of another color.</li><li>to soften or subdue; moderate: His happiness about returning to the United States was muted by his concern for the other hostages.</li></ul>