mush
mush — 名詞
1. an unpleasant, soft, and shapeless goo that forms when something solid breaks do
糊狀物
軟爛不成形的東西
an unpleasant, soft, and shapeless goo that forms when something solid breaks down, like overcooked vegetables or cereal soaked too long in milk
The carrots had been boiling for so long that they turned into a brown mush.
紅蘿蔔煮了太久，已經變成了一團褐色的糊狀物。
turn into mush for becoming shapeless
After the rain, the dirt path became a slippery mush that stuck to everyone's boots.
雨後，泥土路變成了濕滑的爛泥，每個人的靴子都黏滿了泥。
Lan pushed the plate away and said the rice was just flavourless mush.
Lan 把盤子推開，說那飯根本是沒味道的糊。
The dog happily ate the mush of leftover meat and vegetables the children had left.
那隻狗開心地吃著孩子們剩下的肉和蔬菜糊。
- solid
firm, not soft at all
文法句型
mush + of + noun phrase
turn into mush
用法筆記
Common in informal complaints about food texture. Often used in the phrase 'turn to mush' or 'turn into mush'.
常見錯誤
2. a tired or confused mental state that makes it nearly impossible to focus or get
迷糊；混沌
無法思考的狀態
a tired or confused mental state that makes it nearly impossible to focus or get your thoughts in order, often after long hours of study or work
After three hours of studying for the chemistry exam, Ravindra's brain turned to mush.
為了化學考試連續讀了三小時之後，Ravindra 的腦袋已經混沌不清了。
brain turns to mush — idiomatic phrase
The twelve-hour flight across the Pacific left Esme's mind feeling like complete mush.
從太平洋那端飛了十二個小時，Esme 覺得自己的腦袋一片混沌。
Watching back-to-back video meetings made Théo feel as if his thoughts had turned to mush.
連續參加了好幾場視訊會議之後，Théo 覺得自己的思緒已經變成一片糊。
Haruto tried to do the puzzle, but his tired brain was just mush after a long day at work.
Haruto 想解那個謎題，但累了一天的腦袋根本是一團糨糊。
- clarity
clear, focused thinking
文法句型
one's brain + turns to mush
be (just) mush
用法筆記
Nearly always occurs in the fixed expressions 'turn to mush', 'turn into mush', or the short form 'be mush'. The subject is usually 'brain', 'mind', or 'thoughts'.
常見錯誤
3. books, films, songs, or other creative works that are too sweet and emotional in
濫情作品
過度感傷的內容
books, films, songs, or other creative works that are too sweet and emotional in a weak or cheap way that feels fake rather than genuinely touching
Mert walked out of the cinema saying the love story was nothing but cheap mush.
Mert 走出電影院時說，那部愛情片簡直是廉價的濫情之作。
informal: cheap mush for disapproving
Critics dismissed the novel as sentimental mush that no one would remember in a year.
評論家認為那本小說是濫情的廢話，一年後沒有人會記得。
sentimental mush — typical collocation
The singer's new album is pure mush, with sappy lyrics and no real feeling behind them.
那位歌手的新專輯完全是濫情之作，歌詞矯情，沒有一絲真實情感。
Amihan usually avoids greeting cards because they are full of the kind of mush she cannot stand.
Amihan 通常不買賀卡，因為上面全是她受不了的那種矯情話。
- sentimentality
neutral or negative; 'mush' is more dismissive and informal
- sappiness
very similar, also informal and disapproving
- drivel
focuses on the lack of quality rather than emotional excess
- grit
realistic, tough, unsentimental quality in art
文法句型
(be) mush
pure mush
sentimental mush
用法筆記
Always carries a negative or dismissive tone. Use when you want to express that something is excessively sentimental in a way you consider weak or insincere.
常見錯誤
4. a hot breakfast dish of cornmeal cooked with liquid until thick and creamy, ofte
玉米粥
玉米粉煮成的稠粥
a hot breakfast dish of cornmeal cooked with liquid until thick and creamy, often served with butter, honey, sugar, or syrup
James likes his morning mush with a spoonful of honey and some toasted nuts on top.
James 喜歡在早餐的玉米粥裡加一匙蜂蜜和幾顆烤堅果。
Haruto grew up eating warm cornmeal mush with milk and a little sugar before school.
Haruto 小時候上學前常吃加了牛奶和少許糖的溫熱玉米粥。
cornmeal mush — dish name
The camp cook served a thick, steaming bowl of mush to everyone sitting around the fire.
營地廚師端出一大碗熱騰騰的濃稠玉米粥，給圍坐在火邊的每個人。
Some families add cheese and fried onions to their mush instead of anything sweet.
有些家庭會在玉米粥裡加起司和炒洋蔥，而不是搭配甜的東西。
文法句型
mush + with + noun phrase (toppings)
用法筆記
This sense is mainly used in the United States and Canada. In British English, a similar dish is called 'porridge' but is made with oats, not cornmeal.
常見錯誤
5. a journey across snow using a sled that is pulled by a team of dogs
雪橇之旅
由狗拉雪橇進行的旅程
a journey across snow using a sled that is pulled by a team of dogs
Amihan and her huskies completed a five-hundred-kilometre mush across the frozen river.
Amihan 和她的哈士奇犬隊完成了橫跨冰凍河面的五百公里雪橇之旅。
a + distance + mush for measurable dog-sled trip
The old musher told stories about his first long mush through the Yukon wilderness.
那位老雪橇駕駛講起他在育空曠野第一次長途雪橇之旅的故事。
Sivan spent the morning preparing the sled and supplies for a three-day mush north of the village.
Sivan 花了一整個早上準備雪橇和補給品，準備前往村莊以北進行三天的雪橇之旅。
A successful mush depends on the strength of the lead dog and the trust between the dogs and their driver.
一趟成功的雪橇之旅取決於領頭犬的體力，以及狗群與駕駛之間的信任。
- dogsled run
often shorter and more routine than a mush
- sled trip
broader; does not specify dogs as the pulling force
文法句型
(go on / do) a mush
a + number + -kilometre / -mile + mush
用法筆記
This sense is specific to Arctic and sub-Arctic travel (Alaska, Canada, Siberia) and is not used in ordinary daily conversation outside those regions.
mush — 動詞
- mushpresent simple I / you / we / they
- mushes3rd person singular
- mushing-ing form
- mushedpast simple
1. to drive a sled pulled by dogs, steering the animals and controlling their speed
駕雪橇
控制和引領雪橇犬
to drive a sled pulled by dogs, steering the animals and controlling their speed as they travel over frozen snow or bare ground
Ravindra learned to mush from his uncle, who had raced dog teams in Alaska for twenty years.
Ravindra 跟他叔叔學駕雪橇，他叔叔在阿拉斯加參加了二十年的狗隊比賽。
intransitive: learn to mush
Esme mushed the team of eight huskies across the frozen lake at sunrise.
Esme 駕著八隻哈士奇的雪橇隊，在日出時分橫越結冰的湖面。
transitive: mush + team + across
The tourists paid to mush with an experienced guide near the mountain lodge.
那些觀光客付錢和有經驗的嚮導一起駕雪橇，在山間小屋附近行進。
Mateo mushed carefully through the narrow pass to keep the sled from hitting the ice cracks.
Mateo 小心翼翼地駕著雪橇穿過狹窄的山口，避免雪橇撞到冰縫。
文法句型
mush + noun phrase (dog team / sled)
mush + adverbial (across / through / over)
用法筆記
Can be used transitively (mush + a dog team / a sled) or intransitively (mush through, mush across). The command shouted to the dogs to start moving is also 'Mush!'
2. to press or crush cooked food with a fork, spoon, or kitchen tool until it becom
搗爛；壓碎
把食物壓成軟泥狀
to press or crush cooked food with a fork, spoon, or kitchen tool until it becomes a soft, thick, lumpy paste, usually to make it easier to eat or to prepare it for another dish
Lan mushed the potatoes with butter and a splash of warm milk for a creamy side dish.
Lan 把馬鈴薯加奶油和少許溫牛奶搗爛，做成一道綿密的配菜。
mush + [food] + with [ingredients]
The baby's food needs to be well mushed until there are no hard lumps left.
嬰兒的食物要搗得很爛，不能剩下任何硬塊。
passive: be mushed
James mushed the ripe bananas with a fork before adding them to the cake batter.
James 用叉子把熟香蕉壓碎，再加入蛋糕麵糊中。
Layla mushed the cooked peas through a fine sieve to make a smooth green paste for the soup.
Layla 把煮熟的碗豆用細篩網壓碎，做成滑順的綠色泥狀物來煮湯。
文法句型
mush + noun phrase (food item)
mush + noun phrase + into + noun phrase
用法筆記
Similar in meaning to 'mash', but 'mush' is slightly less common and emphasises the result (a shapeless goo) rather than the action itself.
常見錯誤
3. to combine different ideas, pieces of information, sounds, or styles in a carele
混雜；攪和
把不同東西胡亂混在一起
to combine different ideas, pieces of information, sounds, or styles in a careless way so that they lose their separate identities and become unclear or confused
The journalist mushed together three different news stories into one confusing article.
那位記者把三則不同的新聞胡亂混在一起，寫成了一篇讓人看不懂的文章。
mush together — phrasal pattern
Amihan felt the director had mushed too many ideas into a single film that no longer made sense.
Amihan 覺得導演把太多想法攪和進一部電影裡，結果根本說不通。
When you mush several musical genres without understanding them, the result is a noisy mess.
在不了解的情況下把好幾種音樂類型混雜在一起，結果只會是一團噪音。
Haruto warned his team not to mush together facts and personal opinions in the final report.
Haruto 警告他的團隊不要把事實和個人意見在最終報告裡混雜在一起。
- jumble
focuses on the disorder rather than the mixing
- conflate
more formal; specifically about confusing distinct ideas
- lump together
phrasal verb, similar register and tone
- distinguish
to keep things separate and clear
- separate
to undo a confusing mix
文法句型
mush + noun phrase + together
mush + noun phrase + into + noun phrase
用法筆記
Always negative or critical. Unlike 'combine' or 'blend', which can be neutral or positive, 'mush' implies carelessness and a poor result.