mingle
Americanverb (used without object)
-
mingles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
mingled,
past participle, past
-
mingling
present participle
-
to become mixed, blended, or united.
The herbs and spices mingled to produce an exquisite odor that permeated the house.
-
to associate, mix, or interact in company with others, as at a social event.
At the party she mingled with some interesting people.
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to join or take part with others, as in activities or causes.
I used to like his blog, but he’s started to mingle with bigots.
verb (used with object)
-
mingles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
mingled,
past participle, past
-
mingling
present participle
-
to mix or combine; put together in a mixture; blend.
During much of history, noble families mingled their bloodlines and forged new alliances.
- Synonyms:
- intermix, intermingle, commingle
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to unite, join, or conjoin.
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to associate in company.
a hostess who mingles diplomats with executives.
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to form by mixing; compound; concoct.
noun
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mingles, two or more single, unrelated adults who live together.
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a social event at which people associate, mix, or interact with others.
The Chamber of Commerce hosted a mingle for the town's small business owners to kick off their Buy Local campaign.
verb
-
to mix or cause to mix
-
to come into close association
Synonym Usage
See mix.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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minglesimple
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minglessimple
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have mingledperfect
-
has mingledperfect
-
am minglingprogressive
-
are minglingprogressive
-
is minglingprogressive
-
have been minglingperfect progressive
-
has been minglingperfect progressive
Past
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mingledsimple
-
had mingledperfect
-
was minglingprogressive
-
were minglingprogressive
-
had been minglingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of mingle
First recorded in 1425–75; Late Middle English menglen, frequentative of meng(en) “to mix,” Old English mengan; cognate with Dutch, German mengen ) + -(e)len; see origin at -le
Explanation
When things mingle, that means they mix together while still retaining their individual qualities. At a club you may hear laughter that seems to mingle with the sound of the band playing in the background. Mingle often describes abstract things, like smells or tastes or feelings. The look on your face may mingle compassion and horror when you taste your brother’s attempt at making Key Lime Pie. Mingle can also describe what you do at a social gathering when you move around a lot and talk to many different people. If you’re an outgoing person, at a party you probably like to mingle and talk to friends and also chat with new people.
Vocabulary lists containing mingle
Bless Me, Ultima
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Let's Go Caroling, List 1
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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.
See Examples For:
A large vehicle-free zone was created over the course of the festival, allowing the crowds to mingle, enjoy street performances and, on a number of occasions, break into impromptu sing-alongs.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Spirits seem high as laughter and conversations in Spanish and English mingle in the air.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Smoked stuffed peppers are another great option: Prepare the par-cooked rice-and-meat filling ahead, smoke a few tomatoes for the sauce, then let everything finish together while you mingle.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
A ticket is a rare opportunity to mingle in VIP areas over sushi rolls, not to mention fodder for Instagram posts or a chance to appear on television.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
“Lyra, you must run back and mingle with the other children. Be brave, child. The gyptians are coming as fast as they can. I must help these poor daemons to find their people.”
From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman
The chicken, shredded tender, mingles with spaghetti broken into thirds, while cream-of-mushroom soup pulls everything into a glossy, velvety tangle.
From Salon ● Dec. 18, 2025
He occasionally mingles with park-goers, a treat for Disney superfans who post TikTok videos in public display of affection.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2025
This was one of those highly orchestrated campaign stops where the president mingles with voters.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2024
Spanning decades and traversing the ancient Mediterranean like some deeply misbegotten Carnival Cruise, this Shakespeare play mingles comedy, tragedy and Christian allegory.
From New York Times ● Feb. 26, 2024
The puzzlement in having to make sense of this abstract philosophical conundrum mingles with the poignancy of having to come to terms with the loss of someone we love.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
The steady pulsing of milking machines mingled with a thumping musical beat as McAfee marched down the rows, pointing to their light pink udders.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
Several fans mingled Wednesday by a subway stop near Madison Square Garden that city officials have painted blue and orange to honor the Knicks.
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
A giant vanilla cake with chocolate ganache was cut in dramatic fashion for the gala’s finale while guests mingled around the space hunting down a slice.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
Those ideas were made manifest in lavish PR material conjuring up fantastical landscapes that attracted reams of coverage that mingled awe and derision.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
But time wore on, and as the dirt mingled with the sweat on my body, I felt strangely comforted by the chunk, chunk, chunk of the hoe digging into the ground.
From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool
Cells with greater compartment mingling tended to have lower overall levels of gene activity.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026
“They are not rowdy at all. They travel with the idea of understanding the culture, mingling with the locals, buying local arts and crafts,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
For Yoonchae, the show's high point was Time Lapse, where she got to sing in her native Korean, while mingling with the crowd.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
The design team removed about 90% of the plants that used to pack the area to maximize space for dancing and mingling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
There are twenty-five or so people mingling around.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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.
