mug

mug — noun

1. a thick-walled container for drinking, usually made of ceramic or glass, with a

1.nounA1
Definition

a thick-walled container for drinking, usually made of ceramic or glass, with a handle on one side, designed for hot beverages like coffee, tea, or hot chocolate; the word also refers to what is inside one, or the amount it can hold

Example

Min poured hot coffee into her favourite ceramic mug and sat down to read.

collocation: favourite ceramic mug

On cold mornings, a mug of hot chocolate is a lovely way to warm up.

pattern: a mug of + drink

Common collocations
  • ceramic mug
  • coffee mug
  • tea mug
  • beer mug
  • empty mug
  • full mug
  • mug of coffee
  • mug of tea
  • mug of hot chocolate
Synonyms
  • cup

    more general term; mugs are a subtype of cup with thicker walls and a handle

  • stein

    a large decorated mug, especially for beer

Grammar Patterns

a mug of + noun

Common Mistakes

She washed the cup and put it in the cupboard' (when referring to a thick-walled handle cup).
She washed the mug and put it in the cupboard.
A mug is a type of cup with thick sides and a handle; 'cup' usually refers to a thinner, more delicate drinking vessel often used with a saucer.

2. someone who is easy to cheat or trick because they are too trusting

2.nounB1
Definition

someone who is easy to cheat or trick because they are too trusting

Example

The street vendor took Baraka for a mug and sold him a broken watch.

idiom: take someone for a mug

Only a complete mug would hand over their phone to a total stranger.

Common collocations
  • complete mug
  • right mug
  • poor mug
  • take someone for a mug
  • feel like a mug
  • treat someone like a mug
Synonyms
  • fool

    more common and neutral; can describe someone who is not necessarily easy to trick

  • sucker

    US informal; strongly implies being cheated out of money

  • pushover

    focuses on being easily persuaded rather than tricked

  • gullible person

    more formal and descriptive; not idiomatic

Grammar Patterns

be a mug

feel a (right) mug

take someone for a mug

Usage Note

Common in British English self-critical expressions: 'I felt a right mug' or 'Don't be such a mug.' The phrase 'a mug's game' (an activity unlikely to succeed) is a related idiom.

Common Mistakes

He is such a mug to believe their lies.
He is such a mug for believing their lies.
The structure uses 'for + -ing' not 'to + infinitive'.

3. a person's face — used informally, especially in British English, often in humor

3.nounB2
Definition

a person's face — used informally, especially in British English, often in humorous or dismissive phrases

Example

The police officer studied Eri's mug on the security camera footage.

mug shot — police context

Romi wiped the mud off her mug with her shirtsleeve and kept running.

Common collocations
  • ugly mug
  • angry mug
  • grumpy mug
  • mug shot
  • keep your mug out
Synonyms
  • face

    neutral register; appropriate in all contexts

  • visage

    formal or literary; not a direct substitute in everyday speech

Grammar Patterns

possessive + mug

Usage Note

Always informal. Common in British English in phrases like 'that ugly mug of yours' or 'keep your mug out of this.' Much less common in American English, where 'face' is used instead.

Common Mistakes

He has a very handsome mug' in a formal letter.
He has a very handsome face.
'Mug' as 'face' is strictly informal and can sound rude or comical in formal contexts.
Idioms

a mug’s game

idiom

An activity that is not likely to succeed or bring money.

Maya realized that selling handmade crafts online was a mug's game.

Why do you think investing in that startup is a mug's game?

mug — verb