From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmutedmut‧ed /ˈmjuːtɪd/ adjective [usually before noun] 1 QUIETmuted sounds, voices etc are quieter than usual SYN subdued Everyone was sitting round discussing the accident in muted voices.2 LITTLE/NOT MUCHa muted reaction to something is not expressed strongly There was muted agreement from most of the people in the room. The speech received only a muted response from the unions.3 CCCOLOUR/COLORa muted colour or light is soft and gentle, not bright muted pinks and blues4 a muted musical instrument has been made to sound softer
Examples from the Corpus
muted• In the second the observations of a character are noted: the metaphor is muted.• muted blues and purples• Then a cough from next door, muted but clear enough, made him stare at Renwick and shake his head.• He was awakened by a muted buzzer.• I liked the town, for all its drab and muted calm; it seemed a safe place to be.• Before he could say anything, the telephone on the Grecian plinth nearest to the girl gave a muted double purr.• A muted grumbling followed, then the slamming of a door.• Here muted lights, soft leather, stained wood and anaesthetic chamber music prevailed.• There was rather a muted response to the speech.• I could spot only four or five, grey-haired and staid-looking, dressed in muted, somewhat old-fashioned, frocks.• The Air Transport Association expressed muted support for the action.• Market reaction to the resignation was muted, with the CAC40 rising 1 percent to 1,942.73. 