mob

mob — noun

1. a large group of people who are extremely angry and behave in a violent or uncon

1.nounB1
Definition

a large group of people who are extremely angry and behave in a violent or uncontrolled way, often by shouting, breaking things, or attacking others.

Example

The angry mob threw stones at the police cars blocking the street.

collocation: angry mob

A mob of about 200 people gathered outside the town hall shouting for change.

pattern: a mob of + number

Common collocations
  • angry mob
  • lynch mob
  • mob violence
  • mob rule
  • the mob grew/demanded/surrounded
Synonyms
  • crowd

    neutral; can be calm or excited without anger

  • throng

    more formal, focuses on density of people rather than emotion

  • riot

    refers specifically to the violent event, not the people

  • horde

    suggests a large, uncontrolled group, often disapproving

Grammar Patterns

a mob of + noun

the mob + verb

Usage Note

Often used with 'the' to refer to the crowd as a single threatening body ('the mob grew louder'). Distinguish from sense 2 (GROUP OF FRIENDS) — this sense always implies anger or violence.

Common Mistakes

The mob of tourists took photos of the sunset.
The group of tourists took photos of the sunset.
'mob' in this sense always carries anger or violence; use 'group' or 'crowd' for neutral gatherings.

2. the people you know well and regularly spend time with — used in a friendly or j

2.nounB1
Definition

the people you know well and regularly spend time with — used in a friendly or joking way to describe your own friendship circle.

Example

Ishaan and his mob usually hang out at the skate park after school.

informal use: someone's mob = their group of friends

Shirin invited the whole mob to her birthday party at the weekend.

Common collocations
  • the usual mob
  • the whole mob
  • my/our mob
  • the Friday night mob
Synonyms
  • gang

    similar informal tone but can imply a closer, more exclusive group

  • crew

    modern informal; suggests a team or people you do activities with

  • bunch

    softer, less close-knit: 'a bunch of us went to the cinema'

  • circle

    more formal: 'her social circle'

Grammar Patterns

the + adjective + mob

someone's mob

Usage Note

Informal and affectionate or humorous in tone. Not used in formal writing. Contrast with sense 1 (ANGRY CROWD) — this sense implies friendship, not hostility.

3. an organized group of criminals who work together to carry out illegal activitie

3.nounB2
Definition

an organized group of criminals who work together to carry out illegal activities such as drug smuggling, gambling, or murder, often over a long period of time.

Example

The local mob controls all the illegal gambling in this district.

collocation: the [local/city] mob

Three members of the local mob were arrested for drug trafficking during the raid.

Common collocations
  • mob boss
  • mob member
  • mob hit
  • mobster
  • the Mob
  • organized crime mob
Synonyms
  • gang

    broader term; can be a small street gang or a large organisation

  • mafia

    specific to Italian-American or Sicilian organised crime, often capitalised

  • cartel

    refers specifically to drug-trafficking organisations

  • syndicate

    more formal, focuses on the business-like structure of the crime group

Grammar Patterns

the Mob

mob + noun (boss, leader, member)

Usage Note

When capitalised as 'the Mob', refers specifically to the Mafia or similar major organised crime networks. When lowercase, can refer to any criminal gang.

Common Mistakes

The mob stole my phone on the bus.
The thief stole my phone on the bus.
'mob' in this sense means an organised criminal group, not a random street thief.

4. a term for several animals of the same species that gather or travel as one unit

4.nounB1
Definition

a term for several animals of the same species that gather or travel as one unit, most often used in Australia for native mammals such as kangaroos and wallabies.

Example

A mob of kangaroos hopped across the open field at sunset.

collective noun for kangaroos

The park ranger warned us about a mob of wild boar near the campsite.

Common collocations
  • mob of kangaroos
  • mob of wallabies
  • mob of emus
Synonyms
  • herd

    general term for a group of large mammals like cows or elephants

  • flock

    used for birds or sheep

  • pack

    used for wild dogs, wolves, or hunting animals

  • troop

    used for monkeys or kangaroos

Grammar Patterns

a mob of + animal species

Usage Note

Primarily used in Australian English for native animals. Most commonly used for kangaroos and wallabies. Not used for domestic animals like cattle or sheep.

5. short for 'mobile object' — any moving creature or figure inside a video game th

5.nounB1
Definition

short for 'mobile object' — any moving creature or figure inside a video game that the player can choose to fight, hunt, or sneak past, especially ones that appear as part of the regular game environment.

Example

The dungeon is full of mobs that attack as soon as they see you.

gaming term: mobs as enemies that spawn in game areas

Hiro killed twelve mobs on the way to the dragon's lair.

Common collocations
  • mob spawn
  • kill mobs
  • mob farming
  • mob drops
  • aggro mobs
Synonyms
  • enemy

    broader term that includes boss monsters and player enemies

  • monster

    more specific to fantasy games; implies a non-human creature

  • NPC (non-player character)

    broader term that includes friendly characters as well

Grammar Patterns

mob + verb

kill/defeat/fight + mobs

Usage Note

A technical term from online role-playing games (MMORPGs). 'Mob' stands for 'mobile object' — any non-player character that can move and be interacted with. Most common among gamers.

Idioms

the heavy mob/brigade

idiom

A group of strong people who are paid to use force or violence to protect someone or do a job.

The club hired the heavy mob to keep troublemakers away.

Did the heavy brigade show up at the protest yesterday?

mob — verb

Word family

  • mobster
    nounB2
  • mobbing
    nounC1
  • mobbish
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe a large group of people, but they differ in emotion and behaviour. 'Crowd' is the most neutral term — it simply means many people in one place, whether calm or excited. 'Throng' is more formal and focuses on density and movement, like people pushing through a market. 'Horde' carries a disapproving tone and suggests an uncontrolled, possibly destructive mass, as in 'a horde of tourists'. 'Riot' is different: it names the violent event itself, not the people — 'the riot lasted three hours' means the violent disturbance, not the group. In this sense, 'mob' sits closest to 'horde' in tone but adds a specific element of shared anger and potential violence. Example: 'A crowd gathered to watch the street performer' (neutral); 'The angry mob smashed the windows' (violent).

crowd ↗thronghorde ↗riot ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • mob of people
  • mob of animals

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

The word 'mob' is a shortened form of the Latin phrase 'mobile vulgus', meaning 'the movable (or excitable) crowd'. This phrase was used in 17th-century England to refer to the common people who could easily be stirred up into disorder. By the 18th century, 'mob' had become the standard English word for a disorderly crowd. The criminal organisation sense developed in the mid-19th century, particularly in the United States. The Australian animal-group sense emerged from British settlers applying the word to groups of native animals. The video game term 'mob' (short for 'mobile object') dates from the 1970s–80s text-based online games.