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• mull
  mull

  verb (used without object)

  to study or ruminate; ponder.
• Mull
  Mull

  noun

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

mull

¹ American  

[muhl] / mʌl /

verb (used without object)

1. to study or ruminate; ponder.

   Synonyms:

   weigh, consider

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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.

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mull ³ American  

[muhl] / mʌl /

noun

1. a soft, thin muslin.

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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.

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Mull ⁵ American  

[muhl] / mʌl /

noun

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

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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)

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mull ² British  

/ mʌl /

verb

1. to study or ponder

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mull ³ British  

/ mʌl /

verb

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

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mull ⁴ British  

/ mʌl /

noun

1. a light muslin fabric of soft texture

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mull ⁵ British  

/ mʌl /

noun

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

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mull ⁶ British  

/ mʌl /

noun

1. a promontory

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Other Word Forms

• mulled
  adjective

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mull Mull

In the meantime, it doesn’t hurt to mull over other ways to help foster an appreciation for delayed gratification — in ways you’d be able to see and appreciate while you’re alive.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

Stock futures were mostly lower as traders mull bank earnings and await U.S. consumer price index data.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

And so, some still mull just scuttling the agency.

From Slate ● Jun. 15, 2026

He added that theater excels at getting audiences to laugh in the auditorium, and then mull things over on the way home.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026

Our relationship had taken on this pattern: I gently prodded him to do something; he would mull it for days or weeks.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

Dr McGregor hopes the team can build on their findings through continued work with local communities in Islay and Mull, alongside oyster bed restoration and protection work in key areas.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 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, best known as an actor and comedian, admits he’s not always taken as seriously as he’d like when he tells people he is also a painter.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026

North West Mull Community Woodland Company said the aim of its purchase was to "bring about social and economic development" of Ulva for the benefit of the community now and for future generations.

From BBC ● May 30, 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

Related Words

• contemplate
• deliberate
• examine
• ponder
• weigh