mug
(mʌg )
Word forms: mugs , mugging , mugged
1. countable noun A2
A mug is a large deep cup with straight sides and a handle, used for hot drinks.
He spooned instant coffee into two of the mugs.
A mug of something is the amount of it contained in a mug.
He had been drinking mugs of coffee to keep himself awake. [+ of]
Synonyms: cup, pot [informal], jug, beaker
2. verb
If someone mugs you, they attack you in order to steal your money.
I was walking out to my car when this guy tried to mug me. [VERB noun]
He has been mugged more than once. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: attack, assault, beat up, rob
mugging Word forms: muggings variable noun
Bank robberies, burglaries and muggings are reported almost daily in the press.
3. countable noun
If you say that someone is a mug, you mean that they are stupid and easily deceived by other people. [British, informal, disapproval]
He's a mug as far as women are concerned.
I feel such a mug for signing the agreement.
Synonyms: fool, innocent, sucker [slang], charlie [British, informal]
4. mug's game phrase
If you say that an activity is a mug's game, you mean that it is not worth doing because it does not give the person who is doing it any benefit or satisfaction. [British, informal, disapproval]
I used to be a very heavy gambler, but not any more. It's a mug's game.
Dieting is a mug's game.
5. countable noun [usually poss NOUN]
Someone's mug is their face. [informal]
He managed to get his ugly mug on TV.
Synonyms: face, features, countenance [literary], visage [formal]
Phrasal verbs:
mug off
phrasal verb [Also VERB PARTICLE noun]
To mug someone off is to make them look stupid or take advantage of them. [British, slang]
I'm not going to let them mug me off. [VERB noun PARTICLE]
We have been mugged off for far too long. [be VERB-ed PARTICLE]
mug up
phrasal verb [Also VERB PARTICLE]
If you mug up a subject or mug up on it, you study it quickly, so that you can remember the main facts about it. [British, informal]
...visitors who want to mug up their knowledge in the shortest possible time. [VERB PARTICLE noun (not pronoun)]
It is advisable to mug up on your Spanish, too, as few locals speak English. [V P on n]
Image of mug
© Fotofermer, Shutterstock
Translations:
Chinese: 杯子, 抢劫
Japanese: マグ, 襲って強奪する