mince
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to cut or chop into very small pieces.
-
to soften, moderate, or weaken (one's words), especially for the sake of decorum or courtesy.
-
to perform or utter with affected elegance.
-
to subdivide minutely, as land or a topic for study.
verb (used without object)
-
to walk or move with short, affectedly dainty steps.
-
Archaic. to act or speak with affected elegance.
noun
idioms
verb
-
(tr) to chop, grind, or cut into very small pieces
-
(tr) to soften or moderate, esp for the sake of convention or politeness
I didn't mince my words
-
(intr) to walk or speak in an affected dainty manner
noun
-
minced meat
-
informal nonsensical rubbish
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
mincesimple
-
mincessimple
-
have mincedperfect
-
has mincedperfect
-
am mincingprogressive
-
are mincingprogressive
-
is mincingprogressive
-
have been mincingperfect progressive
-
has been mincingperfect progressive
Past
-
mincedsimple
-
had mincedperfect
-
was mincingprogressive
-
were mincingprogressive
-
had been mincingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of mince
1350–1400; Middle English mincen < Middle French minc ( i ) er < Vulgar Latin *minūtiāre to mince; see minute 2
Explanation
To mince is to chop into tiny bits. Your favorite soup recipe might include directions to mince four cloves of garlic. When you dice an onion into very small pieces, you mince it, and when you grind meat very fine to make sausage or mincemeat, you also mince. Another meaning of the verb is to soften, or to express something in a gentle way: "She doesn't mince her words." This word can also mean to walk in a dainty manner, like the way your 7-year-old niece might mince across the floor while pretending to be a fancy princess. The Old French root, mincier, means "make into small pieces," and it comes from the Latin word for "small," minutus.
Vocabulary lists containing mince
Words to Know Before You Defrost the Bird
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Grapes of Wrath
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Winter Dreams," Vocabulary from the short story
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
But when Rodrigo was asked to respond to the controversy on The New York Times’ Popcast, she didn’t mince words, pointing out that she’s worn more revealing outfits on stage with less pushback.
From Salon • Jun. 12, 2026
And when Pelley went after Bilton over his colleagues’ pink slips, he didn’t mince words: Weiss “is murdering 60 Minutes.”
From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026
Sulzberger didn’t mince words on the issue, calling what AI companies do “brazen theft” of new organizations’ intellectual property, in a speech earlier this week.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
He didn’t mince words or allow nuance or second thoughts to stand in the way of a zingy phrase or a colorful wisecrack.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
And he had seen pastries—apple, mince, pumpkin, plum tarts— coming out of the brick oven.
From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes
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.
