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.
A Jeremiah figure among millennial and Gen X parents for his warnings of impending social media doom and ruin, Haidt didn’t mince words when forecasting the impact of the recent court cases.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026
When approached for comment on SoFi’s response, Muddy Waters didn’t mince words.
From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026
Fund manager Jeremy Grantham and financial historian Edward Chancellor released an essay last week that didn’t mince words.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026
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
“I loves a good mince pie,” he said as he unlocked the door to the prison, pie crumbs spilling from his mouth.
From "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson
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.
