mochi

noun

mo·​chi ˈmō-chē How to pronounce mochi (audio)
: a doughlike mass made from cooked and pounded glutinous rice used in Japan as an unbaked pastry

Examples of mochi in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Of course, Poke Ichii has some prefab choices if you’re paralyzed by the excess of options, and there are some sides to choose from, including Spam musubi, takoyaki and mochi ice cream for dessert. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Give these time to warm up so the mochi softens and the ice cream isn’t rock hard and you’ll be rewarded with a creamy, chewy, messy treat. — Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026 The result is a velvet texture with skin that appears as soft, bouncy, and hydrated, just like that of a mochi rice cake. — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 5 Aug. 2026 One of her favorite sweets is butter mochi, a chewy dessert made from rice flour. — ABC News, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for mochi

Word History

Etymology

Japanese

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mochi was in 1970

Rhymes for mochi

See All Rhymes for mochi

Browse Nearby Words

Mocha ware
mochi
Mochica
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mochi.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mochi. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All