What does "mum" mean?
Mother.
Mum
/mʌm/ adj, intj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, intj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Mother.
- Grammar: mum is listed as adj, intj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: mom, anaudic, aphasic, aphonic.
- Useful contrasts: explicit, father, frankness.
- Usage evidence: Mum, why doesn't Dad clean his own study?
How to use "mum"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "mum" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "mum" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "mum" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "mum" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "mum" is acting as adj, intj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "mom" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "mum", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Mother. Commonwealth, Ireland, informal
"From the Marvel Mixmaster to the Miracle Microwave, every time a new-fangled gadget has lobbed into the Aussie kitchen, Aussie mums have changed their cooking styles accordingly."
- 2 A chrysanthemum. US
"I don't know whether that's true or whether New Yorkers are being enjoined from watering the mums in their window boxes or whatever, but I do know that there hasn't been one rain-delay in the whole tournament so far […]."
- 3 Silence. obsolete, uncountable
"Entrust it under solemn Vows / Of Mum and Silence,[…]"
- 4 A type of strong beer, originally made in Brunswick, Germany. uncountable
"The clamorous crowd is hushed with mugs of mum."
- 5 Alternative spelling of ma'am. alt-of, alternative, dated, informal
"“Wy, mum,” said Mr. Weller, “I don’t think you’ll see a many sich, and that’s the truth. But if my son Samivel vould give me my vay, mum, and only dis-pense vith his—might I wenter to say the vurd?” / “What word Mr. Weller?” said the housekeeper, blushing slightly. / “Petticuts, mum,” returned that gentleman, laying his hand upon the garments of his grandson. “If my son Samivel, mum, vould only dis-pense vith these here, you’d see such a alteration in his appearance, as the imagination can’t depicter.”"
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 secrecy wordnet
- 7 A decoration traditionally made of chrysanthemums and ribbons, worn by girls at high school homecoming celebrations, marked with indicators such as the wearer's name, school, the year, and so on. US
- 8 informal terms for a mother wordnet
- 9 of China wordnet
Verb
- 1 To act in a pantomime or dumb show.
- 2 To silence. UK, obsolete, slang, transitive
""Well, Sal, you mum your dubber pretty generally, but when you do slacken your glib you may as well do it civilly.""
Adjective
- 1 Silent. archaic, colloquial, not-comparable
"The citizens are mum, and speak not a word."
- 2 Secret. colloquial, not-comparable
"“Come here, friend,” sternly from the doctor. “Now I give you the way inside if you’ll promise to keep it mum.”"
Adjective
- 1 failing to speak or communicate etc. when expected to wordnet
Intj
- 1 stop speaking!, stop talking!, hush!
"Mum, then, and no more."
Proper Noun
- 1 One’s mother. informal
"I wish Mum and Dad didn't argue so much."
Example
"Mum, why doesn't Dad clean his own study?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "mum"?
Common synonyms include: mom, anaudic, aphasic, aphonic, breathless, brief.
How do you use "mum" in a sentence?
Mum, why doesn't Dad clean his own study?
How do you pronounce "mum"?
Pronounced /mʌm/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Alternative form of mam, or an abbreviation of mummy. Compare mom, mama.
Etymology 2
Abbreviation of chrysanthemum.
Etymology 3
From Middle English mum or mom (“silent”), reminiscent of the sound made when gagged or with a hand over one's mouth. Perhaps related to dated German Mumme (“mask”).
Etymology 4
From German Mumme.
Etymology 5
A variant of ma'am.
Etymology 6
Proprialisation of mum.