mushy
Americanadjective
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resembling mush; pulpy.
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Informal. overly emotional or sentimental.
mushy love letters.
adjective
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soft and pulpy
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informal excessively sentimental or emotional
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of mushy
Explanation
You might use the adjective mushy to describe an overripe banana or a tear-jerker of a commercial. Either way, it describes something soft. Mushy is a good word for talking about something that's doughy or pulpy, whether it's a hunk of modeling clay or your out-of-shape belly. Another way to use mushy is to mean sticky and sentimental, like a mushy love scene in a terrible movie or a mushy greeting card. Either way, the word comes from mush, or porridge, which originated from mash, or "soft mixture."
Vocabulary lists containing mushy
Sickly Sweet Treats: Sappy and Insincere Valentine Words
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The Catcher in the Rye
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Words to Know Before You Defrost the Bird
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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.
The classic recipe for fish and chips -- white fish deep-fried in batter, chips, and mushy peas, often with tartare sauce on the side -- dates back to the 1860s.
From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026
Not helping matters were the show’s taped introductions to the segments—breathy readings, delivered with mushy diction, of incomprehensible poems by Monty Richthofen.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026
After two days, I’d start eyeing my mushy backside with disdain in restaurant windows.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2025
Add it late, or risk a mushy middle.
From Salon • Sep. 23, 2025
“Okay, let’s not get mushy here,” I caution.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
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.
