# mug

/ˈməɡ/ (US) · /mˈʌɡ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mug
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. a large cup

noun · CEFR A2

a large, deep cup with a handle, usually used for hot drinks like coffee or tea.

For teachers: a cylindrical drinking vessel with a handle, typically used without a saucer for hot beverages.

- He filled his favourite mug with hot chocolate and sat by the fire.
- The office kitchen was cluttered with mismatched ceramic mugs, most of them stained by years of neglected tea bags.

### 2. a gullible person

noun · CEFR B2 · British English · Informal

someone who is easily tricked or cheated by others.

For teachers: a person who is easily deceived or taken advantage of. Often used in British English to describe someone acting foolishly.

- I felt like a bit of a mug when I realised I'd paid double the price.
- He was no mug when it came to business, but he often let his emotions cloud his judgement in personal matters.

### 3. the face

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang

a person's face, often used when the face looks funny or unattractive.

For teachers: a person's face. Often used in the context of 'mug shot' or to describe a particularly expressive or unattractive countenance.

- The comedian made a funny mug at the camera to make the kids laugh.
- The witness claimed she would never forget that ugly mug as long as she lived.

### 4. to rob someone

verb · CEFR B1

to attack someone in a public place to steal their money or phone.

For teachers: to assault or threaten a person in a public space with the intent to rob them. Transitive verb requiring a direct object.

- The tourist was mugged in broad daylight while walking through the park.
- Local residents are increasingly concerned after several elderly citizens were mugged near the subway entrance last month.

### 5. to make faces

verb · CEFR C2 · Informal

to make silly or exaggerated faces, especially for a camera or an audience.

For teachers: to exaggerate facial expressions for communicative or comedic effect, particularly in acting or photography.

- Stop mugging for the camera and try to look serious for once.
- The lead actor was criticised for mugging throughout the second act, distracting the audience from the play's more somber themes.

### 6. to study hard

verb · CEFR C1 · British English · Dialect · Informal

to study very hard in a short time, usually just before an exam.

For teachers: to engage in intensive, short-term study or review; to cram. Predominantly found in Commonwealth dialects.

- I need to mug up on my history notes before the test tomorrow.
- He spent the entire weekend mugging up on corporate law to prepare for his final interview with the firm.

Usage: Often used with 'up' as in 'to mug up on a subject'.

## Examples

- I drink my morning coffee from a large blue mug.
- She filled her favorite ceramic mug with steaming tea and sat down by the window to read.
- The kitchen cabinet was filled with a mismatched collection of souvenir mugs, each representing a different city the family had visited over the last decade.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.