mush

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈməsh How to pronounce mush (audio)
especially in sense 3 also
ˈmu̇sh How to pronounce mush (audio)
1
: a thick porridge made with cornmeal boiled in water or milk
2
: something soft and spongy or shapeless
3
a
: weak sentimentality : drivel
b
: mawkish amorousness

mush

2 of 4

verb (1)

mushed; mushing; mushes

transitive verb

chiefly dialectal : to reduce to a crumbly mass

intransitive verb

of an airplane : to fly in a partly or nearly stalled condition

mush

3 of 4

verb (2)

mushed; mushing; mushes

intransitive verb

: to travel especially over snow with a sled drawn by dogs
often used as a command to a dog team

mush

4 of 4

noun (2)

: a trip especially across snow with a dog team

Examples of mush in a Sentence

Noun (1) an opera that is pure mush couldn't stand all the mush in the movie's romantic scenes
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
And at some point around mid-festival, my constitution turns to mush and my brain feels trampled by all these serious, artistic, daring, often incredibly exciting films. Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2024 For two blissful hours, I was scrubbed, oiled, wrapped and massaged until my skin was as soft as a baby’s and my mind was the best kind of mush. Lois Alter Mark, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2024
Verb
Nordic Husky Farm Who hasn’t dreamed of mushing through the snow with a pack of sled dogs? Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 6 Oct. 2024 The leather palm provided superior grip while mushing. Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley, Outside Online, 17 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mush 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

probably alteration of mash

Verb (2)

probably from French marchons, 1st plural imperative of marcher to move, march, from Middle French marchier — more at march

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

circa 1781, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Verb (2)

1862, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1902, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mush was in 1671

Dictionary Entries Near mush

Cite this Entry

“Mush.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mush. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

mush

1 of 3 noun
1
: cornmeal boiled in water or milk
2
: something soft and spongy or shapeless
3
: sickeningly sweet sentimentality
mushily
-ə-lē
adverb
mushy
adjective

mush

2 of 3 verb
: to travel over snow with a sled drawn by dogs
often used as a command to a dog team
musher noun

mush

3 of 3 noun
: a trip across snow with a dog team
Etymology

Noun

probably an altered form of mash

Verb

probably from French marchons "let's move," from marcher "to move, march"

More from Merriam-Webster on mush

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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