mouthful
- 01 B1 Intermediate
the amount of food or drink that you can put in your mouth at one time.
the quantity of food or liquid that fills the oral cavity.
Simple“He took a large mouthful of water after running the race.”
In context“She managed only a small mouthful of the rich dessert before deciding it was far too sweet for her palate.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a word or phrase that is very long or hard to say correctly.
a word or phrase that is phonetically complex or cumbersome to articulate.
Simple“His full name is a bit of a mouthful, so we just call him Sam.”
In context“The scientific name for the species is quite a mouthful, requiring even the most experienced researchers to pause before speaking.”
Synonymstongue twister - 03 C1 Advanced
something you say when someone has said something very true, important, or long.
an emphatic or significant statement; often used as a reactive comment to a dense or profound remark.
Simple“You said a mouthful there; I completely agree with your point.”
In context“When the CEO admitted the company was failing, the lead investigator remarked that he had certainly said a mouthful.”
Synonymstruthearful - 04 C2 Proficiency
a lot of angry or rude words said to someone.
a tirade of abusive or insulting language directed at a person.
Simple“The driver gave me a mouthful of abuse after I accidentally cut him off.”
In context“The referee received a mouthful from the angry manager following the controversial decision to award a penalty in the final minute.”
Synonymsearfultongue lashing
From Middle English mouthful, mouth-full, mouthe full, from Old English mūþfull, from Proto-West Germanic munþafull, equivalent to mouth + -ful. Compare Dutch mondvol (“mouthful”), German Mundvoll (“mouthful”), Danish mundfuld (“mouthful”), Swedish munfull (“mouthful”), Icelandic munnfylli (“mouthful”). Compare also West Frisian mûlfol (“mouthful”).
From mouth + -ful.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.