What does mogging mean?
Hogging means behaving rudely or provocatively toward another person in a way intended to annoy, embarrass, intimidate, or humiliate them. It usually describes deliberate social aggression rather than an accidental offense, and it can apply to verbal abuse, bullying, showing off at another person's expense, or making someone feel frightened or degraded. The expression is chiefly associated with British informal English and is often used when describing the behavior of an individual or group. In educational settings, it may refer to pupils who persistently disrupt others or dominate interactions through intimidation. The word is more commonly encountered in reported speech and criticism than in neutral description: a speaker may say that someone was hogging a weaker person, making clear that the conduct is being condemned rather than merely noticed. Because it carries a strong negative connotation, it should not be used to characterize harmless disagreement, ordinary teasing, or inconsequential rudeness.
verbTo behave rudely, insolently, or provocatively toward someone, especially in a way intended to intimidate, humiliate, or annoy them.
- To behave rudely, insolently, or provocatively toward someone, especially in a way intended to intimidate, humiliate, or annoy them.
"She accused him of hogging the younger children in front of the class."
"Passengers complained that the group was hogging the driver and making the journey uncomfortable."
"The film explores a workplace in which senior staff routinely hogged their juniors."
Hogging names not ordinary rudeness but behavior that is deliberately provocative, intimidating, or humiliating.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does mogging come from?
The word emerged in late-20th-century British slang and is generally linked with the older verb mog, associated with intimidating or overawing someone. Its precise early history is obscure, but the modern form retains the sense of aggressive, intimidating behavior. The expression became especially common in British media and everyday speech during the 1980s and 1990s.
Related word forms
How mogging is actually used
Chiefly informal and often used in an accusatory description of deliberately rude or intimidating conduct. The term is especially associated with British English, though its use and recognition vary by region.
Easily confused with mogging
Hogging means behaving rudely or intimidatingly toward someone, whereas mugging means attacking or threatening someone in order to rob them.