to mull over
24
4.0
- phrasal verb
- /mʌl ˈoʊvər/
- Before we do anything rash, let's take the weekend to mull this over, all right?
- still mulling over
Loading YouTube…
Watch on YouTubeIt's something to Mull over and to take into ourselves.
- It's something to Mull over and to take into ourselves.
- I think it's so easy to Mull things over like that for a really long time.
- And so, you know, well worth mulling over.
- There's not time to needle and Mull over, you know, and just keep doing that until the end of the day.
Examples
-
Patrick and several other miscreants sit quietly, mulling over their misfortune.
Fiction book (1999) -
I spent the evening mulling over the problem, hoping to find some clever way to approach the job.
Fiction book (2001) -
And that requires some mulling over what, what could he mean by that?
-
It's something to Mull over and to take into ourselves.
-
I think it's so easy to Mull things over like that for a really long time.
-
I give him the name and address, and he mulls it over and turns it down.
Fiction book (2000) -
Well, I'll have to mull that over for a while.
-
I'll have to mull this over.
-
At the Calvert Club, over lunch, a bunch of us mulled over the concept.
Fiction book (2001) -
Before we do anything rash, let's take the weekend to mull over this decision, all right?
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Study something carefully to understand it or decide
∞
1.0
To give attention to something in your mind
∞
1.1
To think carefully before making a decision
194
3.9
To think carefully about something before making a decision
185
4.8
To think deeply about something for a long time
154
4.0
To think carefully about something and what it means
128
4.3
Think carefully for a long time about something
74
3.9
To plan something carefully before you do it
70
3.0
To look at something carefully before deciding
61
3.9
To think carefully about something for a while before deciding
50
4.4
To think about something very carefully before deciding
40
4.7
Think carefully for a long time before making a decision
37
3.2
To look at all the details and what may happen before you decide
33
6.1
To think about something carefully for a long time
24
3.7
To delay making a decision until the next day to think about it
12
7.6
To think carefully about something for a long time
5
4.1
To think about or talk about something carefully for a long time
4
4.1
Think carefully about something before deciding
3
8.5
To think carefully and deeply about something
3
4.1
To think carefully about something for a long time
1
9.9
To think very carefully to find a new idea or solution
1
4.8
Delay making a decision until after you think about it overnight
1
7.7
To think about something slowly and in a relaxed way
Antonyms
How Deep
Surface Forms
Morphology
mull + over
The meaning 'to think carefully' is directly derivable from combining 'mull' (to ponder) with the particle 'over', which here signals consideration or thoroughness. This verb+particle composition is compositional and follows common English patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily understand the MWE.
Etymology
Mull over comes from the old idea of mulling a drink, heating it and adding spices so the flavor slowly changes. So, like letting a drink 'simmer', to mull over something is 'to think carefully' and let an idea sit before you decide.