mug

American  

[muhg] / mʌg /

noun

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.

   1. the face.

   2. the mouth.

   3. an exaggerated facial expression; grimace, as in acting.

   4. a thug, ruffian, or other criminal.

4. British Slang. a gullible person; dupe; fool.

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verb (used with object)

mugged, mugging

1. to assault or menace, especially with the intention of robbery.

2. Slang. to photograph (a person), especially in compliance with an official or legal requirement.

verb (used without object)

mugged, mugging

1. Slang. to grimace; exaggerate a facial expression, as in acting.

mug ¹ British  

/ mʌɡ /

noun

1. slang a person's face or mouth

   get your ugly mug out of here!

2. slang a grimace

3. slang a gullible person, esp one who is swindled easily

4. a worthless activity

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verb

1. informal (tr) to attack or rob (someone) violently

2. slang (intr) to pull faces or overact, esp in front of a camera

mug ² British  

/ mʌɡ /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of mug

First recorded in 1560–70; probably from 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”

Explanation

Mug is a funny word that could represent a cup, your face, or even what you do when you rob someone. And, if you mug someone for their mug, you may end up getting a mug shot taken of your guilty face. Confusing? Read on. A mug is an informal vessel for drinking coffee or tea, as opposed to a china tea cup or a demitasse espresso cup, for example. Informally, a mug is a face: that's why a mug shot of a prisoner is a picture of his face right after he has been arrested. When it's a verb, mug means "rob someone while threatening violence." This meaning came from an earlier definition, "to strike someone in the face (or the mug)."

Example Sentences

Hutt became a keen royalist at the age of four, when the King and Queen visited his parents after the Blitz in London and gave him a souvenir mug.

From BBC • May 10, 2026

But it also listed GameStop-related merchandise — such as a GameStop mug for over $3,000, a GameStop mousepad for over $1,500, and what looked to be a used pair of socks for over $14,000.

From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026

There are some moments in “High Potential” when your character is holding up a mug with the Dominican Republic flag.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

Soft enough to give under a fork, structured enough to hold its shape beside a mug of coffee.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

I knew if I bought the mug I’d be flat broke but that didn’t make any difference.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

Related Words

• coffee cup
• jug