The phrase in a pulp evokes imagery of something crushed, broken down, or thoroughly mashed into a soft, shapeless mass. While it often describes a physical state, such as fruit being reduced to a pulp for juices or purees, the expression also carries metaphorical meanings. It can suggest a state of extreme exhaustion, emotional turmoil, or physical defeat, as in “beaten to a pulp.” In literature and figurative speech, being in a pulp may represent situations of vulnerability, destruction, or complete transformation. The term can also highlight the fragility or pliability of a subject, whether it’s a person overwhelmed by emotions or a material reduced to its most basic form. Whether literal or figurative, the phrase conveys an essence of being broken down to the core.
Sample Sentences
- After the intense workout, my legs felt like they were in a pulp.
- The overripe banana turned in a pulp when I accidentally dropped it.
- The boxer was beaten in a pulp after the grueling match.
- The document was left in a pulp after it went through the shredder.
- Her emotions were in a pulp after the tragic news she received.
- The juicer turned the fresh strawberries in a pulp to make a smooth puree.
- After hours of crying, her face looked as though it had been reduced in a pulp.
- The torrential rain left the ground in a pulp, turning it into a soggy mess.
- His mind was in a pulp from trying to solve the complex math problems all night.
- The crash left the car’s front end completely in a pulp, though thankfully no one was injured.
Synonyms for “In a Pulp”
- Crushed
- Mashed
- Pulverized
- Shapeless
- Smashed
- Mangled
- Softened
- Broken down
- Pulverulent
- Juiced
Antonyms for “In a Pulp”
- Solid
- Intact
- Firm
- Whole
- Structured
- Hardened
- Coherent
- Compact
- Unbroken
- Rigid
Related Words and Expressions
Related Words:
- Mash
- Blend
- Puree
- Crush
- Squeeze
- Break down
- Deform
- Squash
- Flatten
- Mangle
Phrasal Verbs:
- Break down (to crush or destroy into smaller parts or a pulp-like state)
- Mash up (to turn something into a pulp through crushing or grinding)
- Grind down (to wear or break something into a soft, shapeless form)
- Press into (to shape or compress into a pulp)
- Squeeze out (to extract the juice or pulp through pressure)
Idiomatic Expressions:
- Beaten to a pulp (physically or emotionally defeated)
- Reduced to pulp (to be broken or degraded into a soft state)
- Turn to mush (to lose firmness or structure, metaphorically similar to in a pulp)
- Feel like pulp (to feel physically or mentally exhausted)
- Soft as pulp (describing extreme softness or pliability).