mince

American  

[mins] / mɪns /

verb (used with object)

minced, mincing

1. to cut or chop into very small pieces.

2. to soften, moderate, or weaken (one's words), especially for the sake of decorum or courtesy.

3. to perform or utter with affected elegance.

4. to subdivide minutely, as land or a topic for study.

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verb (used without object)

minced, mincing

1. to walk or move with short, affectedly dainty steps.

2. Archaic. to act or speak with affected elegance.

noun

1. something cut up very small; mincemeat.

idioms

1. not mince words / matters, to speak directly and frankly; be blunt or outspoken.

   He was angry and didn't mince words.

mince British  

/ mɪns /

verb

1. (tr) to chop, grind, or cut into very small pieces

2. (tr) to soften or moderate, esp for the sake of convention or politeness

   I didn't mince my words

3. (intr) to walk or speak in an affected dainty manner

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noun

1. minced meat

2. 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; 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.

Example Sentences

The Wall Street pro, who knows a thing or two about leverage, didn’t mince words in a warning for rookie stock and options traders, and the prospect that they’ll make it big.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

At the news conference in the Danish capital Copenhagen, Frederiksen did not mince her words as she condemned the "completely unacceptable pressure from our closest ally".

From BBC • Jan. 13, 2026

Mickey Rourke did not mince words when asked by TV host Piers Morgan about fellow actor Tom Cruise and the box-office numbers for ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 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

I would not mince words about the horrors of apartheid, but I said, over and over, that we should forget the past and concentrate on building a better future for all.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• crumble
• grind