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

At the start of creating A Complicated Woman, Taylor felt alienated from her own feelings – a strange paradox, perhaps, for an artist who has never minced her lyrics and one whose powerful live shows, for many, feel like akin to a spiritual reverie. —Sophie Williams, Billboard, 28 Jan. 2025

Flower Restaurant in Songshan was a highlight, with signature dishes like Taiwanese basil omelette, minced pork with chive flowers and pork intestines with bitter melon. —Amber Gibson, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2025

The Saturday Night director has revealed Chase's brutal response after watching his intense 2024 drama detailing the 90 minutes leading up to the first-ever broadcast of SNL, and the actor, who was one of the original members of the 1975 SNL cast, certainly didn't mince words. —Shania Russell, EW.com, 29 Dec. 2024

Seth Jones didn’t mince words, his turnover during the Chicago Blackhawks’ 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames on Monday undermined a potential rally. —Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2025

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