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

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

To build a more significant supply source, the university is mulling a wider rollout to more sites.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

“To make the decision was gut-wrenching because it was months and months of mulling it over with my parents and my brother,” said Susan Wong-Young, the daughter of Heart’s owners.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

The council is mulling a proposal that would require similar ventures to win approval from the city’s planning commission.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

I’d spent the last few nights mulling over what I’d say to Momma and then praying the right words would be enough.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry