muttered

Muttered is the past tense and past participle of the verb mutter. It describes speaking in a low, indistinct voice, often under one's breath, and it tends to imply restraint, irritation, secrecy, or hesitation. The speech is typically not loud enough to be clearly heard by others, and the content may be implied rather than stated openly.

In narrative and dialogue, muttered lines reveal a character's attitude without direct quotation. The term signals subdued or private speech and can convey annoyance, doubt, or reluctance. It is distinct from similar terms such as murmur and mumble: a mutter is usually a short, pointed utterance heard as part of a longer exchange, whereas a murmur is a low, ongoing sound and a mumble is unclear speech.

Grammar and usage: As a verb, mutter can be intransitive ("She muttered in reply") or transitive with a content clause or noun phrase ("She muttered a few words about the weather"). The form 'muttered' marks a completed action. It also appears in perfect tenses: "He had muttered something about leaving early." In literary and script contexts, muttered dialogue is often accompanied by adverbs signaling tone (for example, "muttered angrily" or "muttered under her breath").