mull
verb (used without object)
to study or ruminate; ponder.
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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
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Healey's allies suggest they'd agreed to mull it over overnight.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 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
Inflation in the U.K. rose a little more than expected in December, as Bank of England policymakers mull when next to cut their key interest rate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 21, 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
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
A Chinook helicopter carrying 25 passengers and four crew crashed in the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland on 2 June 1994, killing all of those on board.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
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
However an "ongoing technical issue" with the ship's starboard main engine means an amended timetable - using the MV Isle of Mull - will run through to the end of Wednesday.
From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2026
Avrion Mitchison had invited me to Carradale, the home of his parents, on the Mull of Kintyre.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
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.
