hodgepodge

noun

hodge·​podge ˈhäj-ˌpäj How to pronounce hodgepodge (audio)
Synonyms of hodgepodge
: a heterogeneous mixture : jumble
a hodgepodge of styles

Synonyms of hodgepodge

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Examples of hodgepodge in a Sentence

the exhibit was a hodgepodge of mediocre art, bad art, and really bad art
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.
This braised chicken calls for orange wine, but a hodgepodge of white plus rosé would be fine, even great. — Emma Laperruque, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 June 2026 What’s left is a hodgepodge of youngsters that could soon be stars and older players who have yet to win titles on the sport’s biggest stages. — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 1 June 2026 But storefronts across the city have long been weird hodgepodges, rife with misspellings and aesthetic incoherence. — Clio Chang, Curbed, 22 June 2026 And while Stamey doesn’t reinterpret these songs in wildly different directions, the nostalgic joy infused in each one unites this seeming hodgepodge of tracks. — David Harris, SPIN, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for hodgepodge

Word History

Etymology

alteration of hotchpotch

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hodgepodge was in the 15th century

Rhymes for hodgepodge

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Browse Nearby Words

hodge
hodgepodge
Hodgkin
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Cite this Entry

“Hodgepodge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hodgepodge. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

hodgepodge

noun
hodge·​podge ˈhäj-ˌpäj How to pronounce hodgepodge (audio)
: a confused mixture : jumble
Etymology

an altered form of hotchpotch, from Middle English hochepot "mixed stew," derived from early French hochepot (same meaning), from hochier "to shake" and pot "pot, container"

Word Origin
Hodgepodge and its older form hotchpotch are part of a group of words that rhyme all by themselves. Hobnob and willy-nilly are others. In the case of hodgepodge and hotchpotch, the rhyme is not an accident. These words came to English from early French in the form hochepot. The spelling was changed to make the second half of the word rhyme with the first. In French hochepot was a stew of many foods cooked together in a pot. Perhaps the pot was shaken instead of stirred since hochepot was formed from hochier, meaning "to shake," and pot, which had the same meaning in early French as it does in English now. Before long hotchpotch and hodgepodge were used not just for a mixture of foods cooking in a pot but for any mixture of different things.

Legal Definition

Hodge Podge

noun
ˈhäj-ˌpäj
: main pot

More from Merriam-Webster on hodgepodge

Nglish: Translation of hodgepodge for Spanish Speakers

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