mouthful

American  

[mouth-fool] / ˈmaʊθˌfʊl /

noun

PLURAL

mouthfuls

1. the amount a mouth can hold.

2. the amount taken into the mouth at one time.

3. a small quantity.

4. Informal.  a spoken remark of great truth, relevance, effectiveness, etc..

   You said a mouthful!

5. a long word or group of words, especially one that is hard to pronounce.

---

mouthful British  

/ ˈmaʊθˌfʊl /

noun

1. as much as is held in the mouth at one time

2. a small quantity, as of food

3. a long word or phrase that is difficult to say

4. informal  an abusive response

5. informal  an impressive remark (esp in the phrase say a mouthful )

---

mouthful Idioms  

1. see say a mouthful.

---

Spelling

See -ful.

Etymology

Origin of mouthful

1375–1425; late Middle English. See mouth, -ful

Example Sentences

The government department in charge of these archives is a bureaucratic mouthful: the Authority for Information Concerning Documentation of the Former State Security Service.

From The Wall Street Journal

Porsha Williams of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” appears to have gotten a mouthful from a woman on her flight back to Georgia from Las Vegas on Sunday night, her lawyer says.

From Los Angeles Times

In “Violent Saviors” Mr. Easterly indicts an idea he calls “the Development Right of Conquest”—quite the mouthful—which “confers the right to conquer lands on those who bring material progress to these lands.”

From The Wall Street Journal

"If the trucks stop, a whole country will be switched off," he said, between mouthfuls of rice.

From Barron's

Between mouthfuls of doughnut, Ms Mullan adds: "This is my favourite place in Hull. On a day like today, the sun shining, looking out at the boats, you could be anywhere."

From BBC