muggee: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal
Quick answer
What does “muggee” mean?
The victim of a street robbery (a mugging).
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The victim of a street robbery (a mugging).
By extension, can refer to any person who is robbed or deceived, often in a situation of surprise or intimidation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is understood in both varieties but is slightly more established in British English due to the higher frequency of the base verb 'mug' in BrE contexts. American English may more readily use 'victim of a mugging' or simply 'victim'.
Connotations
Neutral to slightly journalistic; specifies the type of victim (robbery with threat of violence) but does not inherently carry sympathy or blame.
Frequency
Low frequency in both varieties. More likely encountered in written police reports, news articles, or legal contexts than in everyday conversation.
Grammar
How to Use “muggee” in a Sentence
[mugger] mugs [muggee]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “muggee” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The thug attempted to muggee the tourist. (INVALID - 'muggee' is not a verb)
American English
- He was muggeed last night. (INVALID - the verb is 'mug')
adverb
British English
- He was attacked muggeely. (INVALID - no such adverb)
American English
- She looked at him muggeely. (INVALID - no such adverb)
adjective
British English
- The muggee situation was handled by police. (INVALID - not standard adjectival use)
American English
- She had a muggee experience. (INVALID - not standard adjectival use)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Rare; potentially in criminology or sociology papers discussing victimology.
Everyday
Very low use; 'the person who got mugged' is far more common.
Technical
Used in police, legal, and crime reporting contexts to precisely label the victim's role.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “muggee”
- Confusing 'muggee' (victim) with 'mugger' (criminal).
- Using it in overly formal contexts where 'victim' is sufficient.
- Misspelling as 'mugee' or 'muggey'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a low-frequency word. The phrase 'victim of a mugging' or simply 'the person who was mugged' is far more common in everyday speech.
Strictly, no. It is specific to the crime of mugging (a street robbery with threat or use of violence). Using it for, say, a burglary victim would be incorrect.
'Muggee' is a hyponym (more specific term) of 'victim'. All muggees are victims, but not all victims are muggees. 'Muggee' specifies the type of crime suffered.
It is pronounced 'mug-GEE', with the primary stress on the second syllable, 'gee'. The first syllable rhymes with 'rug'.
The victim of a street robbery (a mugging).
Muggee is usually informal in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “From mugger to muggee (describing the roles in a street crime).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the suffix '-ee' as in 'employee' (one who is employed). A 'muggee' is one who is 'mugged'.
Conceptual Metaphor
CRIME IS A TRANSACTION (with an active 'mugger' and a passive 'muggee' as participants).
Practice
Quiz
What is the correct relationship between the words 'mugger' and 'muggee'?