mince
Americanverb (used with object)
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to cut or chop into very small pieces.
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to soften, moderate, or weaken (one's words), especially for the sake of decorum or courtesy.
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to perform or utter with affected elegance.
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to subdivide minutely, as land or a topic for study.
verb (used without object)
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to walk or move with short, affectedly dainty steps.
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Archaic. to act or speak with affected elegance.
noun
idioms
verb
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(tr) to chop, grind, or cut into very small pieces
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(tr) to soften or moderate, esp for the sake of convention or politeness
I didn't mince my words
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(intr) to walk or speak in an affected dainty manner
noun
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minced meat
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informal nonsensical rubbish
Other Word Forms
- mincer noun
- unminced adjective
Etymology
Origin of mince
1350–1400; Middle English mincen < Middle French minc ( i ) er < Vulgar Latin *minūtiāre to mince; minute 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Relief pitcher Blake Treinen, one of the longest-tenured players on the Dodgers heading into his seventh season with the team, did not mince words when asked about how outsiders view the organization.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026
Appointed by George W. Bush, Judge Leon is no activist liberal, but he doesn’t mince words when he sees an abuse of the law.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026
Round-faced Edouard, a fast-talker, did not mince his words in describing his years of "torment" within the ADF.
From Barron's • Dec. 26, 2025
The hostess usually puts on a nice spread: dips, fresh bread, cuts of ham and beef, Christmas tree-shaped chips with hummus and salsa cruda, mince pies, chocolate squares, etc.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 24, 2025
Campbell offered the Americans food now, steaks and mashed potatoes and gravy and mince pie, if they would join the Free American Corps.
From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
