Word
monger
Phoneticsmon·ger, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈməŋɡɝ/
UK/mˈʌŋɡɐ/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a person who sells a particular kind of goods. You mostly see it now in older words like fishmonger.
n. a dealer or trader in a specified commodity, now chiefly preserved in compounds such as fishmonger and ironmonger. Extended to a person who promotes something undesirable, as in warmonger or scaremonger.
Examples
“The cheese monger sells fresh cheese at the market.”
“The article accused the TV host of being a fear monger who profits from panic.”
“In the old port town, every monger knew his rivals by name, yet all joined together when winter storms threatened the market.”
Examples
simple
“The cheese monger sells fresh cheese at the market.”
contextual
“The article accused the TV host of being a fear monger who profits from panic.”
complex
“In the old port town, every monger knew his rivals by name, yet all joined together when winter storms threatened the market.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “monger” in context.
Verb
01. consult monger
“Consult your monger about which white fish holds up best in soup.”
verb + noun
02. haggle with monger
“She loved to haggle with the monger over the price of cockles.”
verb + prep + noun
03. monger cries
“The monger cries his wares before the morning crowd grows thick.”
noun + verb
04. monger hawks
“The monger hawks his catch loudly along the harbour wall each dawn.”
noun + verb
05. monger sells
“The monger sells smoked haddock, kippers and fresh mussels daily.”
noun + verb
Adjective
06. itinerant monger
“An itinerant monger travelled from village to village selling fish and pots.”
adj + noun
07. local monger
“The local monger sold fresh herring every morning at the covered market.”
adj + noun
Noun
08. cheese monger
“The cheese monger offered aged cheddar and ripe Stilton to taste.”
noun + noun
09. fish monger
“The fish monger displayed cod, haddock and sole on crushed ice.”
noun + noun
10. iron monger
“The old iron monger stocked nails, hinges and garden tools.”
noun + noun
11. consult a trusted cheesemonger
“Consult a trusted cheesemonger when choosing cheese for a wedding buffet.”
12. fearmonger spreading baseless rumours
“She accused the pundit of being a fearmonger spreading baseless rumours.”
Usage
Rare as a standalone word; appears mainly in compounds such as fishmonger, warmonger and scaremonger.
Real-World Examples
“Chow further fear-mongered by saying that conducting that review would lead to libraries and even the Toronto Zoo being closed.” “He also suggested, as he had in a Fox News interview on Monday, that “the fear-mongering” is driven by an ideology called effective altruism.” “Hate-mongers, such as the Ku Klux Klan, alleged that the dregs of Italy were being sent abroad to cleanse the peninsula of its undesirables.” Etymology
The noun is derived from Middle English mongere, mangere (“dealer, merchant, trader”), from Old English mangere (“dealer, merchant, trader”), from Proto-West Germanic mangārī (“dealer, merchant, monger”), from Latin mangō (“dealer, trader”) + Proto-West Germanic -ārī (suffix forming agent nouns, especially denoting occupations). The further etymology of mangō is uncertain; the following possibilities have been suggested: From Ancient Greek μαγγανεύω (manganeúō, “to use charms or philtres; to cheat, play tricks; to dress food artificially to make it appear better”), from μάγγᾰνον (mángănon, “means of bewitching, charm, philtre”) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European meng- (“to dress, embellish, trim”); or from Arabic ن ج ل (n j l, root relating to pouring out or thrusting)) + -εύω (-eúō, suffix forming denominative verbs of activity or condition). From Latin manicō, manigō (“deal, trade; to handle, manage (?)”), from manus (“hand”); further etymology uncertain, possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)meh₂- (“to beckon, signal”), or *mon-u-. The verb is either derived from the noun, or is a back-formation from mongering (adjective or noun).
Origin uncertain, possibly from monger (“dealer or trader in a specific commodity”) (etymology 1); or related to Middle English mangbot (“type of fishing boat used on the Thames”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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