Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

mince words

/ˌmɪns ˈwɜːdz/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.02 in modern English

Syllables: mince -words
IPA: /ˌmɪns ˈwɜːdz/

18

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

2

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To restrain oneself when speaking by withholding some comments or using euphemisms in order to be polite, tactful, etc.

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

"Near-synonym: pull punches"
"For quotations using this term, see Citations:mince words."

Etymology

From mince (“to say or utter vaguely (not directly or frankly)”, transitive figurative verb) + words. First attested in the mid-1500s.

Origin

First known use: First attested in the mid-1500s

Word Breakdown

Root: *mey-

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌmɪns ˈwɜːdz/
British English: /ˌmɪns ˈwɜːdz/

Usage

Intransitive verb

Inflected Forms

minces words (present, singular) mincing words (participle, present) minced words (participle, past) minced words (past) mince one's words (alternative) mince matters (alternative)

Phrases

minced oath mince matters word-mincer make no bones about weigh one's words

Frequently Paired Words

minced oath mince matters word-mincer make no bones about weigh one's words

Synonyms

mince matters pull punches

Questions

How do you pronounce mince words?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌmɪns ˈwɜːdz/.
What does mince words mean?: To restrain oneself when speaking by withholding some comments or using euphemisms in order to be polite, tactful, etc.
Where does mince words come from?: First known use: First attested in the mid-1500s.

How to pronounce mince words

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “mince words”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌmɪns ˈwɜːdz/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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