mouthful
B2informal, conversational
Definition
Meaning
The quantity of food or drink that fills or is held in the mouth at one time.
A word, phrase, or name that is long or complicated to say; an important or significant statement.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Can refer literally to food/drink, or figuratively to language that is 'hard to swallow' due to length or complexity. Often used humorously.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical. 'A mouthful to say' is slightly more common in UK English for long words/phrases.
Connotations
Neutral to slightly humorous in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in UK English, particularly in the figurative sense.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[have/take/swallow] a mouthful of [something][That's/It's] a mouthful![be/feel like] a mouthfulVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “say a mouthful (US: to say something important or true)”
- “You said a mouthful! (agreement)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Potentially humorous reference to a long product name or acronym.
Academic
Rare. Informal commentary on complex terminology.
Everyday
Common, especially around food/drink and commenting on long names.
Technical
Very rare.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Mouthful is not used as a verb.
American English
- Mouthful is not used as a verb.
adverb
British English
- Mouthful is not used as an adverb.
American English
- Mouthful is not used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- Mouthful is not used as an adjective.
American English
- Mouthful is not used as an adjective.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- He took a big mouthful of water.
- The baby spat out the mouthful of food.
- 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' is a real mouthful to say.
- She managed a mouthful of soup before feeling ill.
- The chemical compound's name is a bit of a mouthful for non-scientists.
- After his rant, she sighed, 'Well, you said a mouthful.'
- The senator's convoluted justification was a veritable mouthful of legalese and obfuscation.
- He savoured the last mouthful of the exquisite single malt whisky.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine your MOUTH being FULL of food, or FULL of a long, hard-to-pronounce word.
Conceptual Metaphor
LANGUAGE IS FOOD (a complex phrase is 'a lot to chew on' or 'hard to swallow').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation 'рот полный'. Use 'глоток' for liquid, 'кусок' for solid food, and 'труднопроизносимое слово' for the figurative sense.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'mouthful' to mean 'a lot of talking' (incorrect). Using it as an adjective (e.g., 'a mouthful word').
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'mouthful' used figuratively?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not directly. The idiom 'say a mouthful' means to say something significant or true, not to talk a lot.
It is informal and conversational, especially in its figurative use.
A 'mouthful' emphasizes the volume the mouth can hold, often liquid or soft food. A 'bite' implies using teeth and is typically solid food.
No. The correct phrasing is 'a word that is a mouthful' or 'a mouthful of a word'.