mugger

/ˈmʌɡə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmʌɡər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmə-gər/ (ame, mw)

mugger — noun

  • muggersingular
  • muggersplural

1. someone who stops a person in the street or another public place and uses violen

1.名詞B2
釋義

someone who stops a person in the street or another public place and uses violence or threats to take money, a phone, or other valuable things

例句

A mugger grabbed Wren's bag outside the subway and ran.

typical setting: attack near public transport

Eleni screamed when the mugger demanded her phone in the park.

demanded + object shows direct threat

同義詞
  • robber

    broader word for someone who steals by force; it is not limited to street attacks

  • thief

    broader term; a thief may steal secretly without threatening the victim

  • attacker

    focuses on violence only and does not imply stealing

  • assailant

    more formal and mainly used in police or news reports

反義詞
  • victim

    the person the mugger attacks and steals from

文法句型

a mugger attacked [person]

mugger + demanded + object

用法筆記

Mugger usually suggests a sudden attack on one person in the street, near a station, or in another public place. Compared with robber, it points more strongly to a direct street attack than to a bank, shop, or other planned robbery.

常見錯誤

❌A mugger broke into our flat while we were on holiday.
✅A burglar broke into our flat while we were on holiday.
💡'mugger' attacks a person directly; 'burglar' enters a building to steal.
❌Someone took Aya's bike from the yard, so the mugger escaped.
✅Someone took Aya's bike from the yard, so the thief escaped.
💡'mugger' implies threatening or hurting a person, not stealing when no one is confronted.