What does mobbing mean?
Mobbing is the persistent intimidation, harassment, or hostile treatment of one person by a group. Its most familiar modern use is in workplaces, where colleagues may exclude someone, threaten them, spread false information, or coordinate other forms of intimidation. The word can also refer to a collective attack by a mob and, in zoology, to animals joining together against a predator. Mobbing is more specific than the broader word “bullying” because it commonly implies that several people participate in targeting an individual. It can be especially damaging because the affected person may feel isolated and unable to identify which member of the group is responsible. The term is useful when discussing group behavior, workplace misconduct, and the social dynamics of collective aggression.
nounPersistent harassment, intimidation, or hostile treatment of an individual, especially by coworkers or members of a group. It may also refer to participation in a collective attack on a person or target.
- Persistent harassment, intimidation, or hostile treatment of an individual by coworkers or other members of a group.
- Participation in a mob's collective attack on a person, group, or other target.
- A coordinated attack on a predator by a group of animals, especially birds.
"The company investigated allegations of mobbing after several employees complained of coordinated intimidation."
"She reported years of mobbing by her colleagues to the workplace compliance team."
"The film depicts a group of men mobbing a suspect outside the courthouse."
The plural is grammatically correct but uncommon; in workplace contexts, “mobbing” is often used as an uncountable noun.
"The investigation documented multiple mobbings at the warehouse."
A mob can exert enormous power as a crowd, but mobbing shows how a group can turn that power into targeted harassment of a single person.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does mobbing come from?
Mobbing is formed from “mob,” a word for a large informal crowd or organized group, with the suffix “-ing.” “Mob” entered English in the late 16th century from French “mob,” which was derived from the Latin phrase “mobile vulgus,” meaning “movable crowd” or “common people.” The modern occupational sense of mobbing developed in the context of workplace harassment, where group pressure and coordinated intimidation are central features. Related English forms include “mobster,” “mobbery,” and “mobocracy.”
How mobbing is actually used
In contemporary workplace usage, the term is closely associated with systematic group harassment and may imply repeated conduct rather than a single dispute. It is often used in legal, workplace-policy, and media contexts; in zoology, it describes animals collectively attacking a predator. The plural is grammatically possible but uncommon, and the uncountable form is often preferred in discussions of workplace conduct.
Easily confused with mobbing
Mobbing commonly implies hostile treatment directed at someone by a group, whereas bullying can be carried out by either an individual or a group.
A mob is the group taking collective action, while mobbing denotes the conduct of intimidating, harassing, or attacking someone.