mugging

mugging — noun

1. a street crime in which a person physically attacks or threatens someone on the

1.nounB1
Definition

a street crime in which a person physically attacks or threatens someone on the street or in another outdoor area, aiming to take their money, phone, or other belongings.

Example

Eli was the victim of a mugging on his way home from the train station.

collocation: victim of a mugging

The police arrested two teenagers in connection with a series of muggings downtown.

plural: muggings; series of muggings

Common collocations
  • victim of a mugging
  • report a mugging
  • a series of muggings
  • mugging spree
  • mugging incident
Synonyms
  • robbery

    broader term; robbery can happen in any place (banks, stores), while a mugging always happens to a person in a public space.

  • hold-up

    less formal; can refer to robbery of an institution (bank hold-up) or of a person.

  • street robbery

    formal equivalent; used in police reports and crime statistics.

Usage Note

Often used with the definite article ('the mugging') when referring to a specific incident, or in the plural to talk about the phenomenon in general.

Common Mistakes

He was a mugging on the street.
He was the victim of a mugging on the street.
'mugging' is a crime event, not a personal state; you need 'victim of a mugging' or 'he was mugged.'

Word family

  • mug
    verbB1
  • mugger
    nounB1
  • muggings
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe crimes involving taking someone else's property, but they differ in setting and method. 'Mugging' is a violent or threatening attack on a person in a public place — the victim is present and the crime happens face-to-face. 'Theft' is the broadest term: it covers any taking of property without permission, whether the owner is present or not (e.g., pickpocketing, stealing a bicycle). 'Burglary' involves entering a building illegally with the intent to steal — the property owner may be home or away. 'Robbery' overlaps with mugging in that it involves taking property from a person by force or threat, but it also covers crimes against institutions (bank robbery). 'Hold-up' is informal and usually implies a weapon is used, whether on a person or a business. In everyday speech: 'There was a mugging near the subway entrance last night' (face-to-face street attack); 'The burglars broke in while the family was on holiday' (building entry).

robbery ↗theft ↗burglary ↗hold-up ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • be the victim of a mugging
  • report a mugging to the police
  • a rise in muggings

Etymology

English

The word 'mugging' comes from the verb 'to mug', which started as 19th-century London slang meaning 'to strike in the face'. This verb probably developed from the older slang noun 'mug' meaning 'face'—so mugging someone originally meant hitting them in the mug (face). By the mid-1800s, the word had broadened to describe attacking and robbing someone on the street. The '-ing' suffix turns the action into a noun describing the crime itself.