mug

1 of 3

noun

Synonyms of mugnext
1
: a cylindrical drinking cup
2
a
: the face or mouth of a person
b
c
3
a chiefly British
(1)
(2)
: a person easily deceived
b
: punk, thug
mugful noun

mug

2 of 3

verb (1)

mugged; mugging

intransitive verb

: to pose or make faces especially to attract attention or for a camera

mug

3 of 3

verb (2)

mugged; mugging

transitive verb

1
: to assault usually with intent to rob
2
: to attack suddenly
got mugged in the press by his colleagues
muggee noun

Examples of mug in a Sentence

Noun a collection of coffee mugs He drank a mug of coffee. They're taking you for a mug. Verb (1) every time their picture was snapped, both children mugged by sticking out their tongues or scrunching up their faces mugging captured criminals for the police records
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Jeremy Redfern, the deputy chief of staff for Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, shared the story of the murder, along with a mug shot of Joachin, on his X account. Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026 In the intimate snapshot, Steinfeld, clad in a bump-baring striped shirt and sweat shorts, peers at Allen over her mug. Hannah Malach, InStyle, 3 Apr. 2026 Take careful stock of single-purpose tools, small appliances, specialty gadgets, and novelty mugs. Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 2 Apr. 2026 Avery Sullivan, with whom Morris also plays in the country-rock band Fust, keeps loose time on drums, tapping the snare like someone setting down coffee mugs while Libby Rodenbough scrapes out a few melody lines on her fiddle and colors empty spaces with some ghostly tremolo. Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 1 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mug

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

Verb (2)

probably from earlier mug to strike in the face, perhaps from mug entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1856, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Verb (2)

circa 1864, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mug was in 1664

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mug. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

mug

1 of 3 noun
1
: a usually large drinking cup with a handle
2
: the face or mouth of a person
3

mug

2 of 3 verb
mugged; mugging
1
: to make faces especially to attract attention : grimace
2

mug

3 of 3 verb
mugged; mugging
: to assault especially with the intention of robbing
mugger noun

Legal Definition

mug

transitive verb
mugged; mugging
: to assault (an individual) usually with intent to rob

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