mouthful

UK /ˈmaʊθfʊl/ US /ˈmaʊθfʊl/
noun 4adj 1

Definitions

noun

1

The amount that will fit in a mouth.

He swallowed a mouthful of sea water when he fell in.

2

Quite a bit.

“Unquestionably his metabolism is unduly susceptible to stresses resulting from the interaction of external excitations,” he said, and Bobbie patted him on the shoulder in a maternal sort of way, a thing I wouldn't have cared to do myself though our relations were, as I have indicated, more cordial than they had been at one time, and told him he had said a mouthful.

3

Something difficult to pronounce or say.

“She sells sea shells” is a bit of a mouthful to say.

Although there have been many examples of double names, three always have been uncommon. The L.S.W.R. had Horsley & Ockham & Ripley, but the South Yorkshire Railway produced a real mouthful in Smithley, Darley Main & Worsborough. This was soon found to be too much, and the name of the station became Dovecliffe.

4

A tirade of abusive language.

to give someone a mouthful

adj

1

Bombastic or awkward.

Once this happens to be the result, there is little reason for waxing over such mouthful phrases as 'grass-roots democracy', 'democratic decentralization' or 'panchayati raj'.

The sufferers are regaled with such mouthful promises by every party on the eve of the successive elections and thereafter they continue to be shouted with unabated vigour by the party occupying the saddle while the problems are relegated to the limbo of time to find out their own solutions.

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