Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

mull

1 American  
[muhl] / mʌl /

verb (used without object)

  1. to study or ruminate; ponder.

    Synonyms:
    weigh, consider

verb (used with object)

  1. to think about carefully; consider (often followed byover ).

    to mull over an idea.

  2. to make a mess or failure of.

mull 2 American  
[muhl] / mʌl /

verb (used with object)

  1. to heat, sweeten, and flavor with spices for drinking, as ale or wine.

mull 3 American  
[muhl] / mʌl /

noun

  1. a soft, thin muslin.

mull 4 American  
[muhl] / mʌl /

verb (used with object)

Metallurgy.

  1. to mix (clay and sand) under a roller for use in preparing a mold.

Mull 5 American  
[muhl] / mʌl /

noun

  1. an island in the Hebrides, in W Scotland. About 351 sq. mi. (910 sq. km).

Mull 1 British  
/ mʌl /

noun

  1. a mountainous island off the west coast of Scotland, in the Inner Hebrides, separated from the mainland by the Sound of Mull . Chief town: Tobermory. Pop: 2667 (2001). Area: 909 sq km (351 sq miles)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
mull 2 British  
/ mʌl /

verb

  1. to study or ponder

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
mull 3 British  
/ mʌl /

verb

  1. (tr) to heat (wine, ale, etc) with sugar and spices to make a hot drink

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
mull 4 British  
/ mʌl /

noun

  1. a light muslin fabric of soft texture

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
mull 5 British  
/ mʌl /

noun

  1. a layer of nonacidic humus formed in well drained and aerated soils Compare mor

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
mull 6 British  
/ mʌl /

noun

  1. a promontory

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • mulled adjective

Etymology

Origin of mull1

First recorded in 1815–25; perhaps identical with mull “to crumble, pulverize”; 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”; moil

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.

Burke said each player was separated from the squad at Sydney Airport and given time to mull the offer in private.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

These are the thoughts you mull over as “Fire and Ash” re-asks the same questions as before: Where does Spider belong?

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2025

The point is to “experience its intimacy” and mull the questions the artist raises about its intangible value as art beyond the materials used to make it, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

It’s unclear if the happy couple recalls their wretched experiences in Borderland, but their sights are trained on the future as they mull over baby names.

From Salon • Sep. 26, 2025

Turtle paused in a pretense of letting the heirs mull over her last words, trying to figure out what to do next.

From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin

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.