mouthful

noun

mouth·​ful ˈmau̇th-ˌfu̇l How to pronounce mouthful (audio)
1
a
: as much as a mouth will hold
b
: the quantity usually taken into the mouth at one time
2
: a small quantity
3
a
: a very long word or phrase
b
: a comment or a statement rich in meaning or substance

Examples of mouthful in a Sentence

It was a delicious meal. We enjoyed every mouthful. His last name is a real mouthful.
Recent Examples on the Web Succulent mouthful of a layer cake of flavors—brownies, candy cane, red licorice and cranberry juice. Tom Mullen, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 The most magical detail is a mouthful of teeth made from handmade iron nails, which evoke both Kongo power figures and a very serious scarecrow. Will Heinrich, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Similarly to how whales process krill, leopard seals suck in mouthfuls of them, blowing water out the sides of their mouths as krill catch onto their interlocking teeth, creating a tasty mouthful of tiny crustaceans to munch on. Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024 There is something purposefully tongue-in-cheek in the slight mouthful of a name for the festival itself, the Los Angeles Festival of Movies. Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024 While Fallon appeared to be hocking the brunt of his coffee carnage away from Cher, the Grammy-winner had no qualms about spraying the host directly in the face with a large mouthful of coffee. EW.com, 8 Dec. 2023 Not all that long ago, a little first-grade girl came to school with a mouthful of cavities. David Frese, Kansas City Star, 31 Jan. 2024 These are all part of the Amaryllidaceae family, a mouthful indeed, but amaryllis family will do. Kenneth Setzer, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 Natural terpenes are used to create the wonderful berry flavor, which has a tantalizing and entrancing taste in every mouthful. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mouthful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of mouthful was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near mouthful

Cite this Entry

“Mouthful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mouthful. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mouthful

noun
mouth·​ful ˈmau̇th-ˌfu̇l How to pronounce mouthful (audio)
1
a
: as much as a mouth will hold
b
: the amount put into the mouth at one time
2
: a small quantity
3
a
: a word or phrase that is very long or difficult to say
b
: a comment or remark that is rich in meaning
you said a mouthful

More from Merriam-Webster on mouthful

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