mum
gb/mˈʌm/ us/mˈʌm/
A1
English
~ 700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
one's female parent
Your female parent; the woman who gave birth to you or raised you.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s mum
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'mum' with 'mom'; 'mum' is the common spelling in British English, while 'mom' is used in American English.
Synonyms
mother (More formal and widely used in both British and American English.)
|
mom (American English equivalent; informal.)
Antonyms
dad (Male parent; opposite gender role in the family.)
Collocations
my mum
|mum and dad
|call mum
|visit mum
|mum's house
Themes
family
|daily life
|relationships
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- My mum makes the best apple pie.
- I called my mum to tell her the news.
- We’re visiting Mum this weekend.
- Mum told me to clean my room.
- Her mum is a doctor.
Learner examples
- My mum is very kind.
- I live with my mum.
- Mum is in the kitchen.
- I talk to my mum every day.
- My mum works in a shop.
adjective
informal
B1
property
2
silent; not saying anything
Not talking; keeping quiet.
Usage pattern:
keep mum about [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'mum' (silent) with 'mum' meaning 'mother'; context is key.
Synonyms
silent (A more neutral term for not making any sound.)
|
quiet (Can describe both low volume and lack of speech; broader use.)
Antonyms
talkative (Describes someone who talks a lot, opposite of being mum.)
Collocations
keep mum
|stay mum
|remain mum
Themes
communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He kept mum about the surprise party.
- She remained mum during the meeting.
- They stayed mum when asked about the plan.
- I’ll keep mum if you tell me your secret.
- The witness was completely mum in court.
Learner examples
- He kept mum about the news.
- She stayed mum during dinner.
- I will keep mum about your idea.
- They stayed mum when asked a question.
- He was mum all day.
Grammar
Dictionary form
mum
IPA
GB/mˈʌm/
US/mˈʌm/
Syllables & stress
mum (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (mum)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: mum
Noun
- Base: mum
- Plural: mums
Word family
Expressions
keep mum
1/kˈip mˈʌm/
idiom
informal
stay quiet about something
To not tell anyone about something; to keep it a secret.
Examples
- She kept mum about the whole incident.
- I promised to keep mum until the announcement was made.
Mum's the word
1/mˈʌmz ðə wˈɚd/
idiom
informal
do not tell anyone
Used to tell someone to keep something secret and not talk about it.
Examples
- Mum's the word until the deal is signed.
- Remember, mum's the word about the surprise party.