mob

1 of 2

noun

ˈmäb 

1

: a large and disorderly crowd of people

especially : one bent on riotous or destructive action

2

informal : a large number of people

a mob of shoppers clogged the aisles

a team greeted by mobs of fans

3

: a criminal set : gang

especially, often capitalized : mafia sense 1

a member of the Mob

a mob informant

4

old-fashioned : the common people : masses

5

chiefly Australia : a flock, drove, or herd of animals

mobbish

ˈmä-bish 

adjective

mob

2 of 2

verb

mobbed; mobbing

transitive verb

1

: to crowd about and attack or annoy

mobbed by autograph hunters

a crow mobbed by songbirds

2

: to crowd into or around

customers mob the stores on sale days

Synonyms

Noun

• army
• bike [chiefly Scottish]
• cram
• crowd
• crush
• drove
• flock
• herd
• horde
• host
• legion
• mass
• multitude
• press
• rout
• scrum
• swarm
• throng

Verb

• crowd
• flock
• swarm
• throng

Choose the Right Synonym for mob

crowd, throng, horde, crush, mob mean an assembled multitude.

crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together.

a crowd gathered

throng and horde suggest movement and pushing.

a throng of reporters

a horde of shoppers

crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort.

a crush of fans

mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence.

an angry mob

Examples of mob in a Sentence

Noun

The angry mob smashed store windows and attacked people on the streets.

The police had to be called in to handle the growing mob.

He was jailed for his dealings with the Mob.

Verb

The actor's fans mobbed him wherever he went.

Shoppers mobbed the stores during the holidays.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Now the man whose rhetoric had encouraged that mob—who had spent much of the past four years chipping away at my fellow citizens’ faith in our electoral process—was once again the Republican nominee for president, with a running mate who appears all too willing to join him in his war on truth. —Leslie Camhi, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2024

Trump held his January 6, 2021, rally at the Ellipse on the same day a mob of his supporters rioted at the U.S. Capitol while Congress was certifying the 2020 election in which Trump lost to President Joe Biden. —Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024

Verb

Over the last month, Po put up around 50 paper signs around West Village advertising the contest—and now more than 100 faux Chalamets and their entourages are mobbing Washington Square Park. —Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2024

And after being mobbed by his teammates and serenaded by more than 50,000 fans, Freeman immediately went to find his dad in the crowd. —Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latin mobile vulgus vacillating crowd

First Known Use

Noun

1688, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1696, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mob

• flash mob
• lynch mob
• mob boss
• mob scene
• the mob

Kids Definition

mob

1 of 2 noun

ˈmäb 

1

: the common people : masses

2

: a large rowdy crowd : rabble

3

: a criminal gang

mob

2 of 2 verb

mobbed; mobbing

: to crowd about and attack or annoy