hugger-mugger

[ huhg-er-muhg-er ]

/ ˈhʌg ərˌmʌg ər /

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See synonyms for hugger-mugger on Thesaurus.com

noun

disorder or confusion; muddle.

secrecy; reticence: Why is there such hugger-mugger about the scheme?

adjective

secret or clandestine.

disorderly or confused.

verb (used with object)

to keep secret or concealed; hush up.

verb (used without object)

to act secretly.

QUIZ

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Hold your head up high as you embark on this quiz that explores some of the synonyms and meanings of “pride.”

Question 1 of 7

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showing self-respect

treating others with kindness

acting selfishly

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Origin of hugger-mugger

1520–30; earlier hucker-mucker, rhyming compound based on mucker,Middle English mokeren to hoard

Words nearby hugger-mugger

huge, Hügel, hugely, hugeous, huggable, hugger-mugger, hugger-muggery, Huggins, huggy, Hugh, Hugh Capet

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use hugger-mugger in a sentence

Yes, some will fairly argue that a mugger could have a gun and will kill you if put up a fight.
Don Lemon and the Rest of Society Don’t Understand How Rape Works|Emily Shire|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Florida pizza shop owner Scott Van Duzer may just be the most famous hugger in the country right now.
Pizza Shop Owner Scott Van Duzer on Bear-Hugging President Obama|Kevin Fallon|September 11, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Amazingly, the mugger has actually been caught and the phone restored to its rightful owner.
Prince Harry’s Return to London: Nightclub Photos, Stolen BlackBerry|Tom Sykes|December 19, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Did you hear the one about the citizen who was charged with assault for bringing down a runaway mugger?
Are Lawyers Killing America?|The Daily Beast|February 17, 2009|DAILY BEAST

But did you hear the one about the citizen who was charged with assault for bringing down a runaway mugger?
Are Lawyers Killing America?|The Daily Beast|February 17, 2009|DAILY BEAST
But they were taking no steps for this purpose; they were content with social hugger-mugger.
The Expositor's Bible: The Book of Joshua|William Garden Blaikie
Cugger-mugger; whispering, gossiping in a low voice: Jack and Bessie had a great cugger-mugger.
English As We Speak It in Ireland|P. W. Joyce
By the shaking of the chain he knew that the mugger was coming along, and he decided in a flash to take strong measures.
The Romance of the Coast|James Runciman
He has jaws bigger than those of the largest Mugger crocodile, and a tremendous array of fang-like teeth.
More Science From an Easy Chair|Sir E. Ray (Edwin Ray) Lankester
"Three years, as men count years," said the Mugger, close pressed to the earth.
The Bridge-Builders|Rudyard Kipling

British Dictionary definitions for hugger-mugger

hugger-mugger

/ (ˈhʌɡəˌmʌɡə) /

noun

confusion

rare secrecy

adjective, adverb archaic

with secrecy

in confusion

verb obsolete

(tr) to keep secret

(intr) to act secretly

Word Origin for hugger-mugger

C16: of uncertain origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

hugger-mugger

Origin of hugger-mugger

Words nearby hugger-mugger

Words related to hugger-mugger

How to use hugger-mugger in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hugger-mugger

Word Origin for hugger-mugger