mushy

English

Etymology

From mush +‎ -y.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmʌ.ʃi/, /ˈmʊ.ʃi/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Homophone: mushie
• Rhymes: -ʌʃi
• Rhymes: -ʊʃi

Adjective

mushy (comparative mushier or more mushy, superlative mushiest or most mushy)

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

   I don't especially like mushy oatmeal.

   • 2003 July 20, Jeffrey Gettleman, “Humble Paddlefish Fulfills Southerners' Caviar Dreams”, in The New York Times‎^[1]:

     Today, some seafood experts say, the cheaper (though mushier) roe feeds 60 percent of the market.

2. Soft; squishy.

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

   • 2024 January 16, Kimber Streams, “The Best Gaming Mouse”, in Wirecutter‎^[2]:

     Compared with the excellent scroll wheels on the Basilisk V3 and G502 X, the G203’s scroll wheel feels less defined and mushier in its ratcheting.

3. Overly sappy, corny, or cheesy; maudlin.

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

   • 1948, The American Magazine, volume 145, page 122:

     I am sure the hostess will leave off her list men and women who usually drink too much, the woman who gets mushy and tries to steal all the handsomest husbands, the man who offensively would take this opportunity to try to build up sales contacts, […]

   • 1980 December 6, Cindy Rizzo, “Jewish, Lesbian, Feminist, Psychologist, Author—All of the above and more”, in Gay Community News, volume 8, number 20, page 8:

     The day before she left for college, she and Vicki said goodbye. They exchanged mushy cards and promised to write frequently.

   • 2004 June 20, Hubert B. Herring, “OPENERS: THE COUNT; Oh, Dad! So Glad You Had This Lad. A Job, Too? Not Bad.”, in The New York Times‎^[3]:

     Those flower-bedecked cards being showered today on the male of the parental species may encourage one to ponder, in the mushiest language possible, what it means to be a dad.

Derived terms

• mushily
• mushiness
• mushy peas

 

Translations

resembling or having the consistency of mush; semi-liquid, pasty, or granular

• Bulgarian: кашест (kašest)
• Czech: rozměklý, kašovitý (cs), rozbředlý
• French: pâteux (fr)
• German: matschig (de), breiig (de), labberig
• Maori: tāhōhō, tāromiromi
• Russian: кашевидный (kaševidnyj), полужидкий (ru) (polužidkij)
• Spanish: blando (es), pastoso (es)

soft; squishy

• Czech: měkký (cs)
• French: mou (fr)
• Japanese: 柔らかい (ja) (yawarakai)
• Maori: tāhōhō, tāromiromi
• Russian: мягкий (ru) (mjaxkij), расслабленный (ru) (rasslablennyj)

overly sappy, corny, or cheesy

• Czech: sentimentální, limonádový (cs)
• French: à l’eau de rose (fr), fleur bleue (fr)
• German: kitschig (de)
• Russian: слаща́вый (ru) (slaščávyj)
• Spanish: ñoño (es), sensiblero, sentimental (es)