Standard Lemma guide

mushy

adj · 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.

  • /ˈmʌ.ʃi/
  • /ˈmʊ.ʃi/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • homophone: mushie
  • rhymes with -ʌʃi
  • rhymes with -ʊʃi
  • CMU ARPABET: M AH1 SH IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Resembling or having the consistency of mush; semiliquid, pasty, or granular.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I don't especially like mushy oatmeal.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: grumous, mushlike, pulpous, curdy, mushy, paplike, pappy, pobby, porridgelike, puddingish, puddinglike, puddingy, pulplike, pulpy, pultaceous, slushy

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Soft; squishy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The brake pedal is mushy sometimes when I step on it.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: smushy, spongy, squdgy, squitchy, squooshy

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Overly sappy, corny, or cheesy; sentimental, especially in a romantic way; maudlin.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Skip the mushy, romantic scenes and get to the action.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sappy, slushy, soppy, bathetic, cheesy, squishy, corny, drippy, gooey, hokey, icky, kitsch, kitschy, maudlin, mawkish, mushy, overemotional, oversentimental, overwrought, schmaltzy, sickly sweet, soupy, syrupy, treacly

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

effusively or insincerely emotional

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a bathetic novel
  • maudlin expressions of sympathy
  • mushy effusiveness
  • a schmaltzy song
  • sentimental soap operas
  • slushy poetry

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bathetic, drippy, hokey, maudlin, mawkish, kitschy, schmaltzy, schmalzy, sentimental, soppy, soupy, slushy

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

having the consistency of mush

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English mush Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English mushy From mush + -y.

Across languages

Translations

37 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: кашест (kašest) — resembling or having the consistency of mush; semi-liquid, pasty, or granular
  • Czech: rozměklý — resembling or having the consistency of mush; semi-liquid, pasty, or granular
  • Czech: kašovitý — resembling or having the consistency of mush; semi-liquid, pasty, or granular
  • Czech: rozbředlý — resembling or having the consistency of mush; semi-liquid, pasty, or granular
  • French: pâteux — resembling or having the consistency of mush; semi-liquid, pasty, or granular
  • German: matschig — resembling or having the consistency of mush; semi-liquid, pasty, or granular
  • German: breiig — resembling or having the consistency of mush; semi-liquid, pasty, or granular
  • German: labberig — resembling or having the consistency of mush; semi-liquid, pasty, or granular
  • Māori: tāhōhō — resembling or having the consistency of mush; semi-liquid, pasty, or granular
  • Māori: tāromiromi — resembling or having the consistency of mush; semi-liquid, pasty, or granular
  • Russian: кашевидный (kaševidnyj) — resembling or having the consistency of mush; semi-liquid, pasty, or granular
  • Russian: полужидкий (polužidkij) — resembling or having the consistency of mush; semi-liquid, pasty, or granular
  • Spanish: blando — resembling or having the consistency of mush; semi-liquid, pasty, or granular
  • Spanish: pastoso — resembling or having the consistency of mush; semi-liquid, pasty, or granular
  • Spanish: fofo — resembling or having the consistency of mush; semi-liquid, pasty, or granular
  • Spanish: fangoso — resembling or having the consistency of mush; semi-liquid, pasty, or granular
  • Czech: měkký — soft; squishy
  • French: mou — soft; squishy
  • German: breiig — soft; squishy
  • German: labberig — soft; squishy
  • German: matschig — soft; squishy
  • German: schwabbelig — soft; squishy
  • Japanese: 柔らかい (yawarakai) — soft; squishy
  • Māori: tāhōhō — soft; squishy
  • Māori: tāromiromi — soft; squishy
  • Russian: мягкий (mjaxkij) — soft; squishy
  • Russian: расслабленный (rasslablennyj) — soft; squishy
  • Czech: sentimentální — overly sappy, corny, or cheesy
  • Czech: limonádový — overly sappy, corny, or cheesy
  • French: à l'eau de rose — overly sappy, corny, or cheesy
  • French: fleur bleue — overly sappy, corny, or cheesy
  • German: kitschig — overly sappy, corny, or cheesy
  • German: süßlich — overly sappy, corny, or cheesy
  • Russian: слаща́вый (slaščávyj) — overly sappy, corny, or cheesy
  • Spanish: ñoño — overly sappy, corny, or cheesy
  • Spanish: sensiblero — overly sappy, corny, or cheesy
  • Spanish: sentimental — overly sappy, corny, or cheesy