mullah

M3U1L1L1A1H4
/ˈmʊ.lə//ˈmʌ.lə/

noun

An honorific title for a scholar of theology and sharia law.

Similar
clericMollahMulla
OriginClassical Persian مُلَّا ← Arabic مَوْلًى →
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

mullah1

nounmullah (plural mullahs)

plural mullahs

  1. IslamAn honorific title for a scholar of theology and sharia law.

    Leading Republicans do not sympathize with the mullahs, do not repeat their talking points, and do not seek to appease them when they make outrageous claims about other countries.

    2024 April 15, Anne Applebaum, “Why Did U.S. Planes Defend Israel but Not Ukraine?”, in The Atlantic

    Synonyms: cleric

  2. IslamAn honorific title for a mosque leader.

    Synonyms: cleric

  3. IslamA scholar and teacher of theology and sharia law, and an issuer of fatwas.

    In the first week of March 2018, the Shia mullah issues a fatwa prohibiting vengeance killing and requiring reconciliation.

    2021, Mohammed Abu-Nimer, Renáta Katalin Nelson, Evaluating Interreligious Peacebuilding and Dialogue Methods and Frameworks, page 58
  4. IndiaslangslurA conservative Muslim leader or cleric, especially one who is hostile against other religions.
  5. IndiabroadlyslangslurA Muslim.
  6. IrandatedIslamA low-level cleric who specializes in telling stories of Ashura, rather than teaching or issuing fatwas.
  7. A low-level cleric who specializes in telling stories of Ashura, rather than teaching or issuing fatwas. See also: ruhani
    1. IrandatedIslamSee also: ruhani

mullah2

verbmullah (third-person singular simple present mullahs, present participle mullahing, simple past and past participle mullahed)

present singular third person mullahs · participle present mullahing · participle past mullahed · past mullahed

  1. UKalternativeslangtransitiveAlternative form of muller (“to beat, thrash”).

    But I mullahed him. He may have been four inches taller but I punched him through the ropes and knocked the granny and the grandad out of him.

    2009, Nigel Benn, The Dark Destroyer
    1 more example

    The Sevens practice session was touch rugby, but every time Harvey got the ball, I absolutely mullahed him. I pushed him, dumped him on his arse, ran through him. Every time.

    2016, Ben Cohen, Carry Me Home: My Autobiography, page 76

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn honorific title for a scholar of theology and sharia law.

Similar
cleric

nounAn honorific title for a mosque leader.

Similar
cleric

More synonyms by meaning

nouna Muslim trained in the doctrine and law of Islam; the head of a mosque

Similar
MollahMulla
Broader
MuslimMoslem
Also see
mulla

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Arabicمَوْلًى“vicar, guardian”
  2. Classical Persianمُلَّا
  3. Englishmullah

Derived from Classical Persian مُلَّا (mullā), from Arabic مَوْلًى (mawlan, “vicar, guardian”).

More words from Classical Persian, Arabic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic مُلَّا, مَوْلًى
  • مُلَّا (mullā)a Muslim religious scholar and teacher
  • مَوْلًى (mawlan)a Muslim religious scholar and teacher
Bengali মোল্লা, আখন্দ
  • মোল্লা (mōlla)a Muslim religious scholar and teacher
  • আখন্দ (akhondo)a Muslim religious scholar and teacher
Bulgarian молла́
  • молла́ (mollá)a Muslim religious scholar and teacher
Catalan mul·là
  • mul·làa Muslim religious scholar and teacher
Chinese Mandarin 毛拉, 穆拉
  • 毛拉 (máolā)a Muslim religious scholar and teacher
  • 穆拉 (mùlā)a Muslim religious scholar and teacher
  • 阿訇 (āhōng)a Muslim religious scholar and teacher
Danish mullah
  • mullaha Muslim religious scholar and teacher
Finnish mullah
  • mullaha Muslim religious scholar and teacher
French mollah
  • mollaha Muslim religious scholar and teacher
German Mullah, Mulla
  • Mullaha Muslim religious scholar and teacher
  • Mullaa Muslim religious scholar and teacher
  • Mollaa Muslim religious scholar and teacher
Greek μουλάς
  • μουλάς (moulás)a Muslim religious scholar and teacher
Hebrew מולא
  • מולא (mula)a Muslim religious scholar and teacher
Hindi मुल्ला
  • मुल्ला (mullā)a Muslim religious scholar and teacher
Indonesian mullah
  • mullaha Muslim religious scholar and teacher
Japanese ムッラー
  • ムッラー (murra)a Muslim religious scholar and teacher
Korean 물라
  • 물라 (mulla)a Muslim religious scholar and teacher
Malay mullah
  • mullaha Muslim religious scholar and teacher
Polish mułła
  • mułłaa Muslim religious scholar and teacher
Portuguese mulá
  • muláa Muslim religious scholar and teacher
Punjabi ਮੁੱਲਾ
  • ਮੁੱਲਾ (mullā)a Muslim religious scholar and teacher
Russian мулла́
  • мулла́ (mullá)a Muslim religious scholar and teacher
Spanish mulá
  • muláa Muslim religious scholar and teacher
Turkish molla
  • mollaa Muslim religious scholar and teacher
Ukrainian мулла́
  • мулла́ (mullá)a Muslim religious scholar and teacher
Urdu مَولْوِی, مُلّا
  • مَولْوِی (maulvī)a Muslim religious scholar and teacher
  • مُلّا (mullā)a Muslim religious scholar and teacher
Welsh mylah
  • mylaha Muslim religious scholar and teacher

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with mullah

AbdullahGullahMcCulloh
All rhymes →

Anagrams

Hallum
Cite this entry
APA

mullah. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mullah

MLA

“mullah.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mullah. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mullah,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mullah.

Source: mullah on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.