- 1 [intransitive, transitive] if two or more substances mix or you mix them, they combine, usually in a way that means they cannot easily be separated Oil and water do not mix. mix with something Oil does not mix with water. mix A and B (together) Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. If you mix blue and yellow, you get green. mix A with B I don't like to mix business with pleasure (= combine social events with doing business). Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverbthoroughly, well, gently, … prepositionwith phrasesmix and match, pick and mix See full entry See related entries: Preparing food
- 2 [transitive] to prepare something by combining two or more different substances mix something With this range of paints, you can mix your own colours. mix something for somebody Why don't you mix a cocktail for our guests? mix somebody something Why don't you mix our guests a cocktail? Synonymsmixstir mingle blendThese words all refer to substances, qualities, ideas or feelings combining or being combined.mix to combine two or more substances, qualities, ideas or feelings, usually in a way that means they cannot easily be separated; to be combined in this way:Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Oil and water do not mix.stir to move a liquid or substance around, using a spoon or something similar, in order to mix it thoroughly:She stirred her tea.mingle to combine or be combined. Mingle can be used to talk about sounds, colours, feelings, ideas, qualities or substances. It is used in written English to talk about how a scene or event appears to somebody or how they experience it:The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. He felt a kind of happiness mingled with regret.blend to mix two or more substances or flavours together; to be mixed together:Blend the flour with the milk to make a smooth paste.mix or blend? If you blend things when you are cooking you usually combine them more completely than if you just mix them. Mix can be used to talk about colours, feelings or qualities as well as food and substances. In this meaning blend is mostly used in the context of cooking. It is also used to talk about art, music, fashion, etc. with the meaning of ‘combine in an attractive way’.Patterns to mix/mingle/blend (something) with something to mix/stir/mingle/blend something into something to mix/stir/mingle/blend something together to mix/stir/blend ingredients to mix/mingle/blend flavours to mix/blend colours mixed/mingled feelings to mix/stir/blend something thoroughly/well/gently Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverbthoroughly, well, gently, … prepositionwith phrasesmix and match, pick and mix See full entry See related entries: Artwork and techniques, Art equipment
- 3 [intransitive] if two or more things, people or activities do not mix, they are likely to cause problems or danger if they are combined Children and fireworks don't mix. meet people
- 4 [intransitive] mix (with somebody) to meet and talk to different people, especially at social events synonym socialize They don't mix much with the neighbours. We've worked together for years but never mixed socially. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverbeasily, well, freely, … prepositionwith See full entry music/sounds
- 5[transitive] mix something (specialist) to combine different recordings of voices and/or instruments to produce a single piece of music Word Originlate Middle English: back-formation from mixed (taken as a past participle).Extra examples Different races mixed freely at dance halls and clubs. Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly. Mix yellow with blue to make green. She mixed happily with the other children. These pills won’t mix well with alcohol. They had attended university together and often mixed socially. When the rice is cooked, gently mix in all the other ingredients. a child who mixes well at school Children and fireworks don’t mix. Grief mixed with fear and rage as the people surveyed the ruins of their homes. I don’t like to mix business with pleasure.Idioms
verb jump to other results
BrE BrE//mɪks//; NAmE NAmE//mɪks//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they mix BrE BrE//mɪks//; NAmE NAmE//mɪks//
he / she / it mixes BrE BrE//ˈmɪksɪz//; NAmE NAmE//ˈmɪksɪz//
past simple mixed BrE BrE//mɪkst//; NAmE NAmE//mɪkst//
past participle mixed BrE BrE//mɪkst//; NAmE NAmE//mɪkst//
-ing form mixing BrE BrE//ˈmɪksɪŋ//; NAmE NAmE//ˈmɪksɪŋ//
Preparing food, Artwork and techniques, Art equipment to be/become involved in something, especially something illegal or dishonest Don't tell me you're mixed up in all of this?
to be/become friendly with or involved with somebody that other people do not approve of He got mixed up with a crowd who were into drugs and crime.
to combine things in different ways for different purposes You can mix and match courses to suit your requirements. More Like ThisAlliteration in idioms belt and braces, (beat somebody) black and blue, born and bred, chalk and cheese, chop and change, done and dusted, down and dirty, in dribs and drabs, eat somebody out of house and home, facts and figures, fast and furious, first and foremost, forgive and forget, hale and hearty, hem and haw, kith and kin, mix and match, part and parcel of something, puff and pant, go to rack and ruin, rant and rave, risk life and limb, short and sweet, signed and sealed, spic and span, through thick and thin, this and that, top and tail something, tried and tested/trusted, wax and waneSee worksheet.
mix it (with somebody) (British English) (North American English mix it up (with somebody)) jump to other results
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