mushy
Americanadjective
-
mushier,
comparative
-
mushiest
superlative
-
resembling mush; pulpy.
-
Informal. overly emotional or sentimental.
mushy love letters.
adjective
-
soft and pulpy
-
informal excessively sentimental or emotional
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
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.
See Examples For:
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
A stronger hand in the edit could have resulted in something more dynamic and engaging, but the plotting is mushy and then rushed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026
Fans could buy stuffed toy versions of items like fish, chips and mushy peas at a temporary shop at the department store Selfridges in London.
From BBC ● Jan. 3, 2026
Take care when combining the rice, lentils and pasta: The mix should be loose and textured, not mushy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 28, 2025
“Okay, let’s not get mushy here,” I caution.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
The dope is dopey, and it’s unfortunately only a foray into mushier territory.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
The face buttons are also quite small but tactile and clicky, while the D-pad is accurate enough despite being a little mushier than I’d prefer.
From The Verge ● Jan. 21, 2022
Fluctuating temperatures result in growth of ice crystals, further damaging cells and creating a mushier product.
From Washington Post ● May 13, 2020
Like many of Mr. Brice’s best songs, this one molts its masculine exterior to reveal a mushier core inside.
From New York Times ● Jan. 26, 2014
“This snow feeling mushier to you? Wetter?” he asked.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
They seem as withdrawn as Simon, not wanting to call attention to themselves with anything but the mushiest phrases and most reticent rhymes — a timidity that lets the ear write them off as unimportant.
From New York Times ● Mar. 1, 2019
If you’re tuned in to Stevie’s sonic language, his mushiest moments harbor myriad possibilities.
From Slate ● Dec. 18, 2016
And at Sunday night’s 57th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, the proceedings didn’t feel like a singalong trophy contest so much as a race to pop music’s mushiest, most self-important middle.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 8, 2015
What do they amount to, if not the mushiest of split-the-difference compromise?
From Time Magazine Archive
And THEN—THEN Anne became the mushiest thing I ever saw!
From Sisters by Kathleen Thompson Norris
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
