Meaning & use
mishmash
Last updated
UK/ˈmɪʃmæʃ/
US/ˈmɪʃmæʃ/
Meaning
nounusually singularinformal
A messy blend of different things that do not go well together.
Grammar: Normally used with a: a mishmash of colors.
Patterns
- a mishmash of something
The living room was a mishmash of old furniture and bright posters.
Her essay was a mishmash of facts without a clear argument.
The menu is a mishmash of cuisines from five countries.
Word forms
| plural | mishmashes |
|---|
Common combinations
- a mishmash of styles
- The building is a mishmash of styles from different centuries.
- a confusing mishmash
- The report was a confusing mishmash of numbers.
- a mishmash of ideas
- The speech was a mishmash of ideas with no focus.
- a bizarre mishmash
- The costume was a bizarre mishmash of colors.
- a mishmash of flavors
- The stew was a mishmash of flavors that somehow worked.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hodgepodge
- Hodgepodge is very close in meaning and equally informal, but it can sound a little more playful.
- jumble
- Jumble suggests things thrown together in disorder, often physical objects, while mishmash can also describe ideas.
- mixture
- Mixture is neutral and may be well blended, while mishmash is usually a criticism.
- medley
- Medley sounds pleasant and planned, like a medley of songs, whereas mishmash sounds accidental and messy.
Opposites
Word family
- mish-mash noun
- a variant spelling with a hyphen
- mishmashed adjective
- mixed up in a messy way, informal and rare
Commonly confused: mishmash or hash?
mishmash vs hash
A hash is a dish of chopped food or a mess; mishmash is the more common word for a confusing mixture.
Practice
Which sentence best uses mishmash?
Choose one answer.
Mishmash needs a mixture of different things, and a shelf of comics, textbooks and cookbooks fits. The other sentences give no mix of items.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mishmash”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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