Standard Lemma guide

hodgepodge

noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈhɒd͡ʒˌpɒd͡ʒ/
  • US: /ˈhɑd͡ʒˌpɑd͡ʒ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: HH AA1 JH P AA2 JH Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A collection containing a variety of miscellaneous things.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • His latest sculpture is a hodgepodge of kitchen clutter and scrap glued together.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: farrago, melange, mishmash

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A confused mass of ingredients shaken or mixed together in the same pot.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To move or position in an erratic, disorganized manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a theory or argument made up of miscellaneous or incongruous ideas

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: patchwork, jumble

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: theory

5

noun

Meaning 5

a motley assortment of things

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: odds and ends, oddments, melange, farrago, ragbag, mishmash, mingle-mangle, hotchpotch, gallimaufry, omnium-gatherum

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: assortment, mixture, mixed bag, miscellany, miscellanea, variety, salmagundi, smorgasbord, potpourri, motley

History

Etymology

From Middle English hochepoche, a variation of hochepot, from Old French hochepot, from Middle Dutch hutspot (“beef or mutton cut into small pieces and mixed and boiled together in a pot”), from hotsen, hutsen (“to shake; jog; jolt”) + pot (“pot”), equivalent to hotch + pot. Compare German Low German Hüttspott (“hodgepodge”).

Across languages

Translations

61 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: mengelmoes — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Azerbaijani: həftəbecər — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Bulgarian: сбирщина (sbirština) — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Bulgarian: тюрлюгювеч (tjurljugjuveč) — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Catalan: poti-poti — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Czech: mišmaš — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Dutch: mikmak — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Dutch: mengelmoes — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Esperanto: miksamaso — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Finnish: sekamelska — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • French: salmigondis — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • French: fatras — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Galician: galdrumada — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Georgian: აჯაფსანდალი (aǯapsandali) — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • German: Sammelsurium — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • German: Mischmasch — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • German: Wust — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Hebrew: עִרְבּוּבִיָּה ('irbuviyá) — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Hungarian: összevisszaság — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Hungarian: zűrzavar — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Hungarian: zagyvalék — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Hungarian: csiricsáré — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Icelandic: hrærigrautur — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Italian: pot-pourri — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Italian: accozzaglia — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Italian: zibaldone — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Italian: miscuglio — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Italian: pasticcio — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Italian: pastrocchio — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Italian: guazzabuglio — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Latin: farrāgō — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Latin: miscellānea — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Macedonian: турлитава (turlitava) — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Norwegian: sammensurium — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Norwegian: virvar — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Plautdietsch: Mischmausch — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Portuguese: miscelânea — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Portuguese: mistureba — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Portuguese: salgalhada — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Russian: вся́кая вся́чина (vsjákaja vsjáčina) — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Russian: мешани́на (mešanína) — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Russian: винегре́т (vinegrét) — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Scots: pran — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Scottish Gaelic: sop às gach seid — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Spanish: mezcolanza — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Spanish: batiburrillo — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Spanish: gatuperio — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Spanish: fárrago — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Spanish: farrago — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Spanish: revoltijo — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Spanish: tótum revolútum — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Spanish: mescolanza — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Spanish: maremágnum — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Swedish: sammelsurium — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Swedish: salig blandning — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Welsh: cybolfa — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Yiddish: מיש־⁠מאַש — collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble
  • Spanish: bodrio — a confused mass of ingredients shaken or mixed together in the same pot
  • Spanish: brodio — a confused mass of ingredients shaken or mixed together in the same pot
  • Spanish: comistrajo — a confused mass of ingredients shaken or mixed together in the same pot
  • Spanish: guisote — a confused mass of ingredients shaken or mixed together in the same pot