mingle
Americanverb (used without object)
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to become mixed, blended, or united.
The herbs and spices mingled to produce an exquisite odor that permeated the house.
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to associate, mix, or interact in company with others, as at a social event.
At the party she mingled with some interesting people.
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to join or take part with others, as in activities or causes.
I used to like his blog, but he’s started to mingle with bigots.
verb (used with object)
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to mix or combine; put together in a mixture; blend.
During much of history, noble families mingled their bloodlines and forged new alliances.
- Synonyms:
- intermix, intermingle, commingle
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to unite, join, or conjoin.
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to associate in company.
a hostess who mingles diplomats with executives.
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to form by mixing; compound; concoct.
noun
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mingles, two or more single, unrelated adults who live together.
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a social event at which people associate, mix, or interact with others.
The Chamber of Commerce hosted a mingle for the town's small business owners to kick off their Buy Local campaign.
verb
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to mix or cause to mix
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to come into close association
Synonym Usage
See mix.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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minglesimple
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minglessimple
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have mingledperfect
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has mingledperfect
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am minglingprogressive
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are minglingprogressive
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is minglingprogressive
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have been minglingperfect progressive
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has been minglingperfect progressive
Past
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mingledsimple
-
had mingledperfect
-
was minglingprogressive
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were minglingprogressive
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had been minglingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of mingle
First recorded in 1425–75; Late Middle English menglen, frequentative of meng(en) “to mix,” Old English mengan; cognate with Dutch, German mengen ) + -(e)len; see origin at -le
Explanation
When things mingle, that means they mix together while still retaining their individual qualities. At a club you may hear laughter that seems to mingle with the sound of the band playing in the background. Mingle often describes abstract things, like smells or tastes or feelings. The look on your face may mingle compassion and horror when you taste your brother’s attempt at making Key Lime Pie. Mingle can also describe what you do at a social gathering when you move around a lot and talk to many different people. If you’re an outgoing person, at a party you probably like to mingle and talk to friends and also chat with new people.
Vocabulary lists containing mingle
Bless Me, Ultima
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Let's Go Caroling, List 1
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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.
A series of water color plates and tick-tock scenarios portray a future where people from Boyle Heights and beyond will mingle with new on-site residents, hospital staff and patients for shopping, outdoor dining and recreation.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026
Toss a can of drained beans with olive oil, a few strips of lemon peel and an Italian dressing packet, then let everything mingle for half an hour or so.
From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026
Later, Charles will mingle with business leaders, including investors and entrepreneurs, at an event highlighting the transatlantic economic ties.
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
He instructed Herrmann to write a cue that would mingle with Day’s singing, but in the final version her vocals carry the scene entirely.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Since we have an early day tomorrow, Jerry tells us to mingle for a little while and then call it a night.
From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass
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.
