mush
/mʌʃ/ (bre, ipa) · /mʌʃ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈməsh especially in sense 3 also ˈmu̇sh/ (ame, mw)
mush — noun
1. a wet, shapeless mixture, often food, that has become smooth and messy instead o
a wet, shapeless mixture, often food, that has become smooth and messy instead of keeping its form.
The peas turned into mush after Bao forgot the pot on the stove.
turn into mush
Christopher scraped banana mush off the high chair with three wet wipes.
After the storm, the dirt path became mush under the hikers' boots.
Tomás pushed the overripe avocado into mush for the baby's lunch.
文法句型
turn into mush
become mush
a bowl/pile of mush
用法筆記
Often used in a negative way for food or other material that has lost its texture. Distinguish from sense 4, which names a specific cornmeal dish rather than ruined texture.
2. a condition in which your mind feels so tired or muddled that making clear decis
a condition in which your mind feels so tired or muddled that making clear decisions becomes difficult.
By midnight, Ritu's brain was mush after six hours of checking receipts.
brain was mush
After three online meetings, Gabriel felt his head turn to mush.
head turn to mush
The twins stared at the algebra sheet until their minds became mush.
The interns needed fresh air because spreadsheet work had turned their brains to mush.
- mental fog
more neutral and descriptive, without the vivid image of collapse
- blur
suggests unclear thought, but is less idiomatic for mental tiredness
文法句型
brain turn to mush
mind become mush
用法筆記
Most often appears in expressions such as 'your brain turns to mush' after long work, stress, or lack of sleep. It describes temporary mental fog, not a medical condition.
3. books, songs, films, or romantic talk that push feelings so hard that they seem
books, songs, films, or romantic talk that push feelings so hard that they seem weak or silly.
Élise switched off the drama because the ending was pure mush.
pure mush
The reviewer called the song mush and asked for sharper lyrics.
call the song mush
After two chapters, Reuben decided the novel was more mush than story.
The ad campaign slipped into mush once every scene ended with tears.
- sentimentality
more neutral and analytical; can describe a style without sounding slangy
- schmaltz
more colloquial and often used for overly sweet entertainment
文法句型
be pure mush
call something mush
用法筆記
This informal sense is strongly critical. It is used for entertainment or language that feels too sweet and emotional without enough depth.
4. a smooth, heavy porridge prepared by cooking ground corn with water or milk unti
a smooth, heavy porridge prepared by cooking ground corn with water or milk until it thickens.
Liang stirred the mush slowly so the cornmeal would not stick.
stir the mush slowly
At breakfast camp, the cook served hot mush with milk and cinnamon.
Nkechi ate a bowl of mush before the long bus ride.
The baby reached for the spoon when Darius cooled the mush.
- porridge
broader word for hot cereal, not only the cornmeal kind
- cornmeal porridge
a fuller descriptive phrase for this specific dish
文法句型
eat mush
serve mush
a bowl of mush
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1, this is a neutral food name rather than a complaint about texture. It is usually understood from breakfast or cooking context.
mush — verb
- mushpresent simple I / you / we / they
- mushes3rd person singular
- mushing-ing form
- mushedpast simple
1. to guide a team of sled dogs as they pull a sled or cart across snow or rough gr
to guide a team of sled dogs as they pull a sled or cart across snow or rough ground.
Before the blizzard arrived, Vikram mushed the dogs across the frozen lake.
mush the dogs across + place
Two guides mushed through the valley with medicine for the remote camp.
mush through + place
At sunrise, the trainer mushed a young team along the forest trail.
The racers mushed all night to reach the checkpoint before dawn.
文法句型
mush + the dogs + across/through + place
mush + through/along + route
用法筆記
This is a specialized travel verb linked to dog teams and sleds. In modern general English it appears mostly in outdoor, racing, or historical contexts.
2. to press or mash something, especially food, until it turns into a soft lump.
to press or mash something, especially food, until it turns into a soft lump.
Tomás mushed the beans with a fork before filling the tacos.
mush + food + with + tool
The nurse mushed the tablet into yogurt so the child could swallow it.
mush something into yogurt
Bao mushed the ripe pear in a bowl for the toddler.
The cook mushed roasted garlic into the butter for warm bread.
- slice
cuts into pieces rather than pressing into a soft mass
- leave whole
keeps the food in its original shape
文法句型
mush + food + with + tool
mush + something + into + softer mixture
用法筆記
Usually used for soft ingredients that can be pressed with a fork, spoon, or similar tool. It is more informal and vivid than the neutral verb 'mash'.
3. to mix separate ideas or issues together until the boundaries between them are h
to mix separate ideas or issues together until the boundaries between them are hard to see.
The press report mushed two separate scandals into one messy story.
mush two things into one story
In the debate, the speaker mushed tax cuts and wages together.
mush issues together
The documentary mushed fact and rumor until viewers could not tell them apart.
A careless headline mushed three neighborhoods together under the same label.
- separate
keep things apart instead of merging them
- distinguish
show clearly how two things differ
文法句型
mush + two things + together
mush + ideas/issues + into + one account
用法筆記
Often criticizes writing or speech that combines separate topics without care. Distinguish from sense 2, which is physical pressing rather than conceptual mixing.