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

Wes Streeting was in Parliament with his closest advisers mulling whether he should quit the cabinet job as health secretary that he had coveted for years.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

You don’t have to take out a policy today or tomorrow, but it’s worth mulling over as part of your overall plan.

From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026

France is mulling two ways to help: testing people to get a better measure of how widespread contamination is, and regulating fertilisers to limit new cadmium entering soils.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

Jimmy Garoppolo, Stafford’s backup the last two seasons, is a free agent and mulling retirement, according to McVay and Snead.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

“I’ve also been mulling over a plan,” said Ekon, a bit more seriously.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray