mouthful

/ˈmaʊθfʊl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmaʊθfʊl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmau̇th-ˌfu̇l/ (ame, mw)

mouthful — noun

  • mouthfulsingular
  • mouthfulsplural

1. a single bite of food or sip of a drink — the amount your mouth can comfortably

1.名詞B1
釋義

a single bite of food or sip of a drink — the amount your mouth can comfortably hold at one time.

例句

Lara took a mouthful of the hot soup and burned her tongue.

collocation: take a mouthful of [hot food/liquid]

Ishaan chewed each mouthful of steak slowly before swallowing.

collocation: chew each mouthful of [food]

同義詞
  • bite

    only for solid food that you bite off with your teeth; not used for liquids

  • sip

    only for liquids taken through the lips, usually in small amounts

  • gulp

    a large, quick swallow, often suggesting eagerness or thirst

  • swallow

    the action of moving food or drink down the throat, not a measured quantity

文法句型

a mouthful of [food/drink]

take/have a mouthful of [food/drink]

用法筆記

Commonly paired with take, have, or swallow. Works for both food (a mouthful of bread) and drink (a mouthful of wine).

常見錯誤

❌I drunk a mouthful of water.
✅I took a mouthful of water.
💡The verb 'drink' already describes the action; use 'take' or 'have' with 'mouthful' as the object.

2. a long or complicated expression that is not easy to say, usually because it has

2.名詞B2
釋義

a long or complicated expression that is not easy to say, usually because it has many syllables or unusual combinations of sounds.

例句

His full name is a real mouthful, so everyone just calls him Dr. Lee.

The chemical term 'polytetrafluoroethylene' is quite a mouthful for most students.

pattern: quite a mouthful

同義詞
  • tongue-twister

    specifically a phrase that is very hard to say quickly and correctly; stronger and more playful than mouthful

  • jawbreaker

    an informal term for a very long, hard-to-pronounce word; suggests the word itself is a challenge

文法句型

be a mouthful

quite a mouthful

用法筆記

Usually singular and used after 'be' in informal contexts: 'That word is a mouthful.' or 'It is quite a mouthful.'

常見錯誤

❌Antidisestablishmentarianism is a mouthful word.
✅Antidisestablishmentarianism is a mouthful.
💡'Mouthful' is a noun, not an adjective. You describe something as 'a mouthful', not 'a mouthful word'.

3. a very small quantity of food or drink, often less than you would normally take

3.名詞B1
釋義

a very small quantity of food or drink, often less than you would normally take in one bite or sip.

例句

The old woman ate only a mouthful of rice before pushing her plate away.

collocation: only a mouthful of [food] (small quantity)

Defne managed just a mouthful of breakfast before rushing out the door.

collocation: just a mouthful of [food]

同義詞
  • tiny bit

    more general and can apply to non-food contexts too

  • drop

    only for liquids and very small amounts; suggests less than a full sip

  • crumb

    only for solid food, specifically a tiny broken-off piece

反義詞
  • feast

    a large, plentiful meal — the opposite in terms of quantity

文法句型

a mouthful of [food/drink]

just/only a mouthful

用法筆記

Emphasises smallness — the speaker is often surprised or disappointed by how little was eaten or drunk. Contrast with sense 1, which focuses on capacity (how much fits in the mouth), not quantity.

常見錯誤

❌She only ate a mouthful of salad — it was delicious, so she had three portions.
✅She ate just a mouthful of salad, but it was so delicious that she had three portions.
💡'A mouthful' (sense 3) means a small quantity, so it contradicts a following statement about eating a large amount. Use it consistently to signal a small amount.