mince

1 of 2

verb

ˈmin(t)s 

minced; mincing

transitive verb

1

a

: to cut or chop into very small pieces

She minced the garlic.

b

: to subdivide minutely

especially : to damage by cutting up

The director minced up the play.

2

: to utter or pronounce with affectation

minced the word in the manner of the old lady

3

a

archaic : minimize

b

: to restrain (words) within the bounds of decorum

minced no words in stating his dislike

—J. T. Farrell

intransitive verb

: to walk with short steps in a prim affected manner

The comedian minced across the stage.

mincer noun

mince

2 of 2

noun

1

: small chopped bits (as of food)

specifically : mincemeat

2

British : hamburger sense 1a

Synonyms

Verb

• chop
• dice
• hash

Examples of mince in a Sentence

Verb

She minced the onions.

minced some garlic and added it to the stew

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors Days after publicly endorsing Donald Trump for president in the 2024 election, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy isn't mincing words when reacting to Trump winning the presidency for a second time. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024

For its long running time and handsomely shot inertia, but also for its Cliff’s Notes-adjacent condensing of a massive quote-unquote Great American Novel. Straughan, when asked about the film’s disappointing debut, did not mince words. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 Nov. 2024

In 2019, when Gerrit Cole spurned his hometown Angels to sign with the New York Yankees, his agent did not mince words in explaining why. —Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2024

Eminem hasn’t been one to mince words about Donald Trump. —Michael Saponara, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French mincer, from Vulgar Latin *minutiare, from Latin minutia smallness — more at minutia

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mince

• mince no words
• not mince (one's) words

Kids Definition

mince

1 of 2 verb

ˈmin(t)s 

minced; mincing

1

: to cut into very small pieces

2

: to act, walk, or speak in an unnaturally dainty way

mincingly

ˈmin(t)-siŋ-lē

adverb

mince

2 of 2 noun

: small bits into which something is chopped

especially : mincemeat