Mute

Tones

To Depress
To Cushion
To Dampen
To Nuance
To Modulate

To Blunt
To Soften
To Lighten
To Dilute
To Diminish

To Relax
To Abate
To Lessen
To Deaden
To Allay

To Restrain
To Tame
To Numb
To Dull
To Underdo

MUTE, v. { myoot } [ 1 ] To cause ( someone or something ) to stop talking, singing, etc. — The shock muted him. / There’s no way to mute my grandmother. [ 2 ] To cause ( something ) to no longer be heard — Closing the window completely muted the rain. [ 3 ] To deactivate the sound or audio capabilities of ( a device ) — Mute the television while I’m on the phone. / To mute one’s phone at work. [ 4 ] To make ( something ) less intense, severe, etc. — All the sugar muted the taste of the orange peel. / Her family’s presence muted her anger. [ 5 ] music – To place a mute on ( a musical instrument ) to change its volume and timbre.

The insurance industry, an outspoken critic of escalating drug prices, issued a more muted response. [ The Washington Post ] We had a muted celebration on Monday, took Tuesday off, and had a good training session on Thursday. [ The New Zealand Herald ] Bach enshrines this profound idea in a lovely aria for an entreating soprano echoed by a muted violin. [ The Telegraph ] There was muted applause from relatives of Massino’s victims as the judge adjourned the brief hearing. [ The Guardian ] It echoes the stripped geometry of the gallery and its muted palette of rose granite and grey concrete. [ Ottawa Citizen ] Made by a Canadian designer, they come in muted tones of solid colors, with simple complementary necklaces. [ Montreal Gazette ] While multitasking was one of the most eagerly awaited features of iOS4, it got a somewhat muted reception. [ The Irish Times ] The floral sketch design comes in a muted purple shade, and raises the style quotient of any man’s tie bar ten-fold. [ Boston Herald ] But while angry chiefs have muted their criticism of Atleo for now, they still harbour concerns about his leadership. [ CBC.ca ] The majority of economists believe that the data simply point to more muted growth for the rest of the year and into 2011. [ The Globe and Mail ] But any U.S. restriction on steel imports would have a relatively muted effect on China and would hit other countries much harder. [ Chicago Tribune ] The estimated 60 scam victims in the lower Manhattan federal courtroom applauded and sent up a muted cheer at hearing Madoff’s punishment. [ USA TODAY ] The decor and layout popular at the time is still seen today, particularly among high-end retailers and artisan producers - all muted colours and airy spaces. [ BBC ] Ichael Bachelard The calling of the federal election prompted a strangely muted reaction from lobby groups yesterday because they dislink the policies of both sides. [ The Age ] Now the room was growing serene, a slow-motion phantasmagoria of pastel colors and soft, muted sounds. [ Project Gutenberg ]

From the noun mute; from Old French muet, diminutive of mu, ‘silent or unintelligent’; from Classical Latin mutus, ‘silent or unintelligent’.