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hugger-mugger

hug·ger-mug·ger
H h

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [huhg-er-muhg-er]
    • /ˈhʌg ərˌmʌg ər/
    • /ˈhə.ɡə(r) ˈmʌ.ɡə(r)/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [huhg-er-muhg-er]
    • /ˈhʌg ərˌmʌg ər/

Definitions of hugger-mugger word

  • noun hugger-mugger disorder or confusion; muddle. 1
  • noun hugger-mugger secrecy; reticence: Why is there such hugger-mugger about the scheme? 1
  • adjective hugger-mugger secret or clandestine. 1
  • adjective hugger-mugger disorderly or confused. 1
  • verb with object hugger-mugger to keep secret or concealed; hush up. 1
  • verb without object hugger-mugger to act secretly. 1
See all 12 definitions of hugger-mugger

Information block about the term

Origin of hugger-mugger

First appearance:

before 1520
One of the 28% oldest English words
1520-30; earlier hucker-mucker, rhyming compound based on mucker, Middle English mokeren to hoard

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Hugger-mugger

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Full grammatical hierarchy of Hugger-mugger

hugger-mugger popularity

This term is known only to a narrow circle of people with rare knowledge. Only 27% of English native speakers know the meaning of this word.
According to our data about 74% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

Synonyms for hugger-mugger

adj hugger-mugger

  • clandestine — Something that is clandestine is hidden or kept secret, often because it is illegal.
  • covert — Covert activities or situations are secret or hidden.
  • hush-hush — highly secret or confidential: a hush-hush political investigation.
  • intriguing — to arouse the curiosity or interest of by unusual, new, or otherwise fascinating or compelling qualities; appeal strongly to; captivate: The plan intrigues me, but I wonder if it will work.
  • mysterious — full of, characterized by, or involving mystery: a mysterious occurrence.
All 12 Synonyms of hugger-mugger

Antonyms for hugger-mugger

adj hugger-mugger

  • aboveboard — An arrangement or deal that is aboveboard is legal and is being carried out openly and honestly. A person who is aboveboard is open and honest about what they are doing.
Just one Antonym for hugger-mugger

See also

Matching words

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