What does mugful mean?
A mugful is the amount of liquid or other material that a mug can contain. The phrase can refer literally to its contents, as in “a mugful of hot tea,” or figuratively to a large quantity of something: “a mugful of coins” suggests a substantial amount, often with an informal or humorous tone. It is useful when the emphasis is not on the mug itself but on the quantity held inside it. The word is common in both British and American English, though the second sense is more characteristic of casual speech. Its compound structure is transparent: it combines “mug” with the fullness suffix “-ful.”
nounThe amount that a mug can hold, or the liquid or other contents contained in a mug. The word can also refer to a large quantity of something, especially in informal contexts.
- The quantity of liquid or other material held by a mug.
- An unusually large amount of something.
"She poured herself a generous mugful of coffee."
"He drank a whole mugful of tea before heading out."
"The kitchen was filled with a mugful of steam and the smell of strong coffee."
The regular plural is “mugfuls,” even though the singular ends in a consonant cluster.
"The tray held two steaming mugfuls of coffee."
A mugful is literally what fits in a mug, but in informal use it can mean a surprisingly generous amount of anything.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does mugful come from?
The word “mugful” is a 19th-century compound of “mug” and the suffix “-ful,” meaning “full of” or “the amount contained in.” The suffix is also the source of related words such as “handful” and “mouthful.” The word developed straightforwardly from the idea of the contents of a mug and later acquired the informal figurative sense of a large quantity.
Related word forms
How mugful is actually used
The literal sense is neutral and common. The sense meaning a large quantity is informal and often humorous or figurative.
Easily confused with mugful
A mug is the drinking vessel itself, whereas a mugful is the amount it holds or the contents inside it.