noun

marshmallow

mahsh-MA-loh

Marshmallow (noun) means a soft, spongy sweet made from sugar or corn syrup and gelatin, whipped to a fluffy texture. Example: “They roasted marshmallows over the campfire until they turned golden.”

noun

A soft, spongy sweet made from sugar or corn syrup and gelatin, whipped to a fluffy texture.

"They roasted marshmallows over the campfire until they turned golden."

"She dropped a marshmallow into her hot chocolate."

A plant related to the mallow family that grows in marshy ground, from whose root the original confection was made.

"The marshmallow plant produces pale pink flowers in late summer."

How to use marshmallow

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe soft, squishy white sweet you roast on a stick, named after the marsh plant it was originally made from.

Common pairings

toasted marshmallow marshmallow fluff roast marshmallows

Word forms

marshmallowed past tense, marshmallows plural, marshmallows singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “marshmallow” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

They roasted _____ over the campfire until they turned golden.

Etymology

Named for the marsh mallow plant — ancient confectioners made the original sweet from the plant's sticky root sap before switching to modern gelatin and sugar.

Origin: Latin

Rhymes for marshmallow

allow wallow hallow fallow swallow shallow

See all rhymes for marshmallow →

Frequently asked questions

What does “marshmallow” mean?

The word “marshmallow” means a soft, spongy sweet made from sugar or corn syrup and gelatin, whipped to a fluffy texture. In plain terms, the soft, squishy white sweet you roast on a stick, named after the marsh plant it was originally made from.

How do you pronounce “marshmallow”?

“Marshmallow” is pronounced mahsh-MA-loh (/ˈmɑɹʃˌmɛl.oʊ/ in IPA).

How do you use “marshmallow” in a sentence?

Here is “marshmallow” used in a sentence: “They roasted marshmallows over the campfire until they turned golden.”

What part of speech is “marshmallow”?

“Marshmallow” is a noun.

Where does the word “marshmallow” come from?

The word “marshmallow” comes from Latin. Named for the marsh mallow plant — ancient confectioners made the original sweet from the plant's sticky root sap before switching to modern gelatin and sugar.

How many meanings does “marshmallow” have?

“Marshmallow” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a soft, spongy sweet made from sugar or corn syrup and gelatin, whipped to a fluffy texture.

Featured in

Vocabulary lists that include marshmallow:

Words that end with W