mull
verb (used without object)
to study or ruminate; ponder.
mull
1 American
[muhl]
/ mʌl /
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
-
to think about carefully; consider (often followed byover ).
to mull over an idea.
-
to make a mess or failure of.
mull
2
American
[muhl]
/ mʌl /
verb (used with object)
mull
3
American
[muhl]
/ mʌl /
noun
mull
4
American
[muhl]
/ mʌl /
verb (used with object)
Metallurgy.
Mull
5
American
[muhl]
/ mʌl /
noun
Mull
1
British
/ mʌl /
noun
mull
2
British
/ mʌl /
verb
mull
3
British
/ mʌl /
verb
mull
4
British
/ mʌl /
noun
mull
5
British
/ mʌl /
noun
mull
6
British
/ mʌl /
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of mull1
First recorded in 1815–25; perhaps identical with mull “to crumble, pulverize”; see mull 4
Origin of mull2
First recorded in 1610–20; origin uncertain
Origin of mull3
First recorded in 1670–80; earlier mulmul, from Hindi malmal
Origin of mull4
First recorded in 1400–50; of uncertain origin; possibly from Middle English mollen, mullen, originally, “to moisten, soften by wetting”; see moil
Explanation
The verb mull means to think deeply about something, the way you might mull over your choice of what college to attend. When you mull something over, you ponder or seriously consider it. You could mull over what aid organization to donate money to following a natural disaster, or mull over what to study in college. People are most likely to mull over important decisions, but you can use the word mull, almost always with over, any time you're giving serious consideration to something. A completely different meaning of mull is "to heat, sweeten, and spice," as when you make mulled cider.
Vocabulary lists containing mull
Think Tank: Thought-Provoking Vocabulary
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!
Where the Red Fern Grows
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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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.
See Examples For:
Stock futures were mostly lower as traders mull bank earnings and await U.S. consumer price index data.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
To the extent other leaders mull this over, many will conclude that it’s time to develop their own nuclear weapons.
From Slate ● Apr. 8, 2026
The two clubs with most to mull over after seeing their top-four hopes dealt a blow are Liverpool and Chelsea.
From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2026
No matter how many times I re-watch “Back to the Future,” I find more touches to admire, more questions to mull.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2025
“Over the years, I’ve noticed that developing ideas usually requires some time. Sometimes you have to mull things over for a bit to get what you’re really after.”
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
Mull, who died in 2024, received his master of fine arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1967.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
Martin Mull was best known to audiences for playing comedic characters like Col.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
Since then, more and more tourists have headed for the island, with the operators of the Ulva ferry - which goes between Ulva and Mull - saying there has been "unprecedented interest".
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
The demand has been such that the Ulva Ferry company, which runs a service between Mull and Ulva, has announced it will now halt Sunday services.
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
She was talking to Lessie Mull when I approached.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
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.
