mulling

¹ American  

[muhl-ing] / ˈmʌl ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of reflecting or ruminating carefully on something (often followed byover ).

   After reading that book on simplifying life, I’ve been doing some heavy mulling and pondering.

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adjective

1. reflecting or ruminating carefully on something.

   News hound, artist, analyst, or mulling philosopher—all will find this man’s story an unparalleled feast.

mulling ² American  

[muhl-ing] / ˈmʌl ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or process of heating wine, cider, ale, etc., sweetening it, and flavoring it with spices.

   Their gourmet spice blends carry the strong flavor needed for the mulling of wines, ciders, or juices.

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Etymology

Origin of mulling¹

First recorded in 1885–90; mull ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun; mull ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective

Origin of mulling²

mull ² ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mulling

For 20 minutes I lay alone, in the dark, mulling over what I’d been told.

From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026

And while an Oscar front-runner or two may have been unofficially coronated, we found plenty else to like — particularly these nine movies we’ll be taking home and mulling over in the weeks ahead.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

After mulling the idea over for a few years, they decided to do it themselves and managed to book a date at English football's national stadium.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

U.S. officials said he’s mulling over another such gathering to outline his priorities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

Watching in the bushes, Omakayas and Angeline waited for them to resume their talking, but that day, mulling over Fishtail’s difficult words perhaps, the men kept their silence.

From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich