VOOZH about

URL: https://www.wordreference.com/definition/mugging

⇱ mugging - WordReference.com Dictionary of English


mugging

Listen:
UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈmʌgɪŋ/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(muging)

From the verb mug: (⇒ conjugate)
mugging is: Click the infinitive to see all available inflections
v pres p

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
mug•ging  (muging),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. an assault or threat of violence upon a person, esp. with intent to rob.
  • mug + -ing1 1840–50

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
mug /mʌg/USA pronunciation   n., v., mugged, mug•ging. 
n. [countable]
  1. a rounded drinking cup with a handle:a coffee mug.
  2. the amount it holds:spilled a mug of coffee on the papers.
  3. Slang Termsa person's face or mouth:Get your ugly mug out of here!

v. 
  1. to assault or attack, usually in order to rob:[+ object]He was mugged in a dark street.
  2. Slang Terms to make faces:[no object]to mug for the camera.
mug•ger, n. [countable]
mug•ging, n. [countable]a savage mugging on a dark and deserted street.[uncountable]a short prison term for mugging.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
mug  (mug),USA pronunciation n., v., mugged, mug•ging. 
n. 
  1. a drinking cup, usually cylindrical in shape, having a handle, and often of a heavy substance, as earthenware.
  2. the quantity it holds.
  3. Slang Terms
    • the face.
    • the mouth.
    • an exaggerated facial expression;
      grimace, as in acting.
    • a thug, ruffian, or other criminal.
  4. British Termsa gullible person;
    dupe;
    fool.

v.t. 
  1. to assault or menace, esp. with the intention of robbery.
  2. Slang Termsto photograph (a person), esp. in compliance with an official or legal requirement.

v.i. 
  1. Slang Termsto grimace;
    exaggerate a facial expression, as in acting.
  • Scandinavian; compare Swedish mugg, Norwegian, Danish mugge drinking cup; sense "face'' apparently transferred from cups adorned with grotesque faces; sense "to assault'' from earlier pugilistic slang "to strike in the face, fight''
  • probably 1560–70

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
mug /mʌɡ/ n
  1. a drinking vessel with a handle, usually cylindrical and made of earthenware
  2. Also called: mugful the quantity held by a mug or its contents
Etymology: 16th Century: probably from Scandinavian; compare Swedish mugg
mug /mʌɡ/ n
  1. slang a person's face or mouth: get your ugly mug out of here!
  2. Brit slang a gullible person, esp one who is swindled easily
  3. a mug's gamea worthless activity
vb (mugs, mugging, mugged)
  1. (transitive) informal to attack or rob (someone) violently
Etymology: 18th Century: perhaps from mug1, since drinking vessels were sometimes modelled into the likeness of a face
'mugging' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Collocations: a [brutal, vicious, botched] mugging, a [spate, series, raft, report] of muggings, [resorted, turned] to mugging, more...

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "mugging" in the title:


Look up "mugging" at Merriam-Webster
Look up "mugging" at dictionary.com
  • Go to Preferences page and choose from different actions for taps or mouse clicks.

In other languages: Spanish | French | Italian | Portuguese | Romanian | German | Dutch | Swedish | Russian | Polish | Czech | Greek | Turkish | Chinese | Japanese | Korean | Arabic

Advertisements
Advertisements
Report an inappropriate ad.
WordReference.com
WORD OF THE DAY
GET THE DAILY EMAIL!
Become a WordReference Supporter to view the site ad-free.
Firefox users: use search shortcuts for the fastest search of WordReference.
Copyright © 2026 WordReference.com
Please report any problems.