What's the word for a closed-mouth moan?

[HHHawkeye]

I'm in the middle of writing a scene, and it suddenly occurs to me that I've never heard the word for what I'm about to narrate. I'm sure you know the thing I'm talking about. When you moan with your mouth closed, making a sort of "mmmmmmm" sound, but in like a more sexual context instead of finding food tasty?

Does anyone know the word you're supposed to use for that?

 

[Voboy]

I'm in the middle of writing a scene, and it suddenly occurs to me that I've never heard the word for what I'm about to narrate. I'm sure you know the thing I'm talking about. When you moan with your mouth closed, making a sort of "mmmmmmm" sound, but in like a more sexual context instead of finding food tasty?

Does anyone know the word you're supposed to use for that?

I think it’s still a moan.

 

[ThisNameIsntTakenYet]

In my nude day story I've used "muffled moan", but that was because her mouth was being covered by a hand. If that doesn't apply to your situation, words that come to mind are "purring" or "humming", which both have a slightly different sound associated with them.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Turn it around. Open your mouth and try to make a ‘mmmmm’ sound. Nope.

OK, now try to gasp, cry, shriek, talk or pant with your mouth closed. Not happening.

Closed mouth, it’s a moan in my books.

 

[tomlitilia]

"muffled moan"

I use that a fair bit too--especially if the moaning is hampered by a cock in her mouth.

 

[HHHawkeye]

Turn it around. Open your mouth and try to make a ‘mmmmm’ sound. Nope.

OK, now try to gasp, cry, shriek, talk or pant with your mouth closed. Not happening.

Closed mouth, it’s a moan in my books.

The issue is you can moan with your mouth open too, making it more of an "ohhhhhhh", and I'm trying to specify the closed-mouth version in the least awkward way possible.

 

[Voboy]

Can I ask how much it matters, narratively, that her mouth is closed?

I’m very familiar with the difficulty of avoiding repetition in extended sex scenes, and you can only get so far with moan, groan, hiss, gasp, grunt, etc. Are you merely trying to come up with another word to use, or is it necessary that the reader understand her mouth is shut?

Perhaps, if you post the offending sentence, we can gain some context and help you out.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

The issue is you can moan with your mouth open too, making it more of an "ohhhhhhh", and I'm trying to specify the closed-mouth version in the least awkward way possible.

Then that's not a moan, it's an 'oh' or an 'ah.'

 

[HHHawkeye]

Can I ask how much it matters, narratively, that her mouth is closed?

I’m very familiar with the difficulty of avoiding repetition in extended sex scenes, and you can only get so far with moan, groan, hiss, gasp, grunt, etc. Are you merely trying to come up with another word to use, or is it necessary that the reader understand her mouth is shut?

Perhaps, if you post the offending sentence, we can gain some context and help you out.

It's more that in the context, an open-mouthed moan and a closed-mouth moan would have very different meanings. I wound up cheating a bit to solve it in this particular case by turning the phrasing around, but I'd like to know the word for the sake of it and for future reference.

Then that's not a moan, it's an 'oh' or an 'ah.'

The common definitions of moans I've seen do not specify a need for a closed mouth. In fact most moans are open-mouthed.

 

[LexxRuthless]

You could just quote the character:

"Mmm," she moaned around his thick shaft.

Or if it's first-person:

He put his hand over my mouth to keep me from crying out. "Mmm!" I moaned into his palm as I felt his fingers in my ass.

 

[Maeven_quinn]

I'm in the middle of writing a scene, and it suddenly occurs to me that I've never heard the word for what I'm about to narrate. I'm sure you know the thing I'm talking about. When you moan with your mouth closed, making a sort of "mmmmmmm" sound, but in like a more sexual context instead of finding food tasty?

Does anyone know the word you're supposed to use for that?

A muffled moan. A hum. A moan stuffed soft from a partner's lips.

 

[Voboy]

I'd like to know the word for the sake of it and for future reference.

Okay.

Given the responses, it turns out there might not be one. You could maybe dig deep and find something archaic, but chances are if the posters here don't know one off the top of our heads, our readers might be similarly handicapped.

It's a good question. You could always invent a word and include a bit of light comic dialogue somewhere in your story where the characters discuss the need for that word. Then use it yourself. Meta!

 

[Hypoxia]

Murmur, burble, growl, gurgle, hum, purr, buzz, drone, meander, purl, ripple, rumble, susurrate, blocked vocalization, low oscillation, vocal-a-rama, low whimper, dyspepsia.

 

[Voboy]

Murmur, burble, growl, gurgle, hum, purr, buzz, drone, meander, purl, ripple, rumble, susurrate, blocked vocalization, low oscillation, vocal-a-rama, low whimper, dyspepsia.

Oh yes.

“As my tongue teased her clit, she susurrated dyspeptically.”

I’m hard already.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Oh yes.

“As my tongue teased her clit, she susurrated dyspeptically.”

I’m hard already.

Yep, get that low oscillation going, honey .

I'd probably used purred, if moan wasn't doing the job. Or dialogue,"hmmm..."

 

[jp55665566]

"pathetic"

 

[Hypoxia]

Oh yes.

“As my tongue teased her clit, she susurrated dyspeptically.”

I’m hard already.

Are you a Mormon or Scientologist?

 

[Voboy]

Are you a Mormon or Scientologist?

Scientologist, silly.

Mormons only susurrate AMIABLY when getting their clits licked.

 

[gordo12]

dyspepsia.

Interesting. I always took that to mean indigestion which the agrees with the definition for the word.

However the synonyms for it are all emotional in context.

"bad mood · annoyance · irritation · vexation · exasperation · indignation · huff · moodiness · pet · pique · fit of pique · displeasure · anger · crossness · fury · rage · outrage ·

and so on...

 

[DrHappy]

... I've used "muffled moan”

I was going to suggest “muted moan” or “stifled moan.”

 

[gordo12]

Sorry got caught up in the dyspepsia thing.

I use the term Feral Moan quite frequently. A low beastly moan of passion.

 

[NotWise]

We don't need one word or phrase for everything, do we? Are we trying to build a code?

If she moan's with her lips closed, then maybe he feels her hot breath on his neck and hears a low sound -- something from within her that makes her body quake.

 

[Hypoxia]

"I'm all a-quiver
It's up from my liver
And then I give'er a
Moan and a groan
Baby, c'mon home
I'm so all alone
With only a jawbone
To play"
--traditional

 

[Voboy]

We don't need one word or phrase for everything, do we? Are we trying to build a code?

If she moan's with her lips closed, then maybe he feels her hot breath on his neck and hears a low sound -- something from within her that makes her body quake.

This.

It’s why I asked the OP for the sentence in context. There are many ways to skin this cat.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

It's more that in the context, an open-mouthed moan and a closed-mouth moan would have very different meanings. I wound up cheating a bit to solve it in this particular case by turning the phrasing around, but I'd like to know the word for the sake of it and for future reference.


The common definitions of moans I've seen do not specify a need for a closed mouth. In fact most moans are open-mouthed.

A moan is a moan, whether the mouth is open of closed. In my 69 years of experience most women moan with their mouth closed or when it is full of something.

When you described an open mouth moan you said it sounded more like an 'Ohhh' which would be the word oh and not a moan, which is not a word in the English language.