Hugger-mugger

//ˈhʌɡ.ɚˌmʌɡ.ɚ// adj, adv, noun, verb

adj, adv, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Secrecy. archaic, uncountable

    "[…]; and we haue done but greenly In hugger mugger to interre him."

  2. 2
    a state of confusion wordnet
  3. 3
    Disorder. uncountable

    "As we passed through the quadrangle the church was glowing more brightly than a pearl, like a lily in strong sunlight, in spite of all the scaffolding and hugger-mugger."

Verb
  1. 1
    To meet or act secretly.
Adjective
  1. 1
    Secret, clandestine, sly.
  2. 2
    Disorderly, chaotic, confused.

    "hugger-mugger doings"

Adjective
  1. 1
    conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods wordnet
  2. 2
    in utter disorder wordnet
Adverb
  1. 1
    Secretly.
  2. 2
    Confusedly, in a muddle.
Adverb
  1. 1
    in secrecy wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
abstruseall overanarchicarsy varsyass backwardsback door

Example

More examples

"So Brad McLaughlin mingled reckless talk Of heavenly stars with hugger-mugger farming, Till having failed at hugger-mugger farming, He burned his house down for the fire insurance And spent the proceeds on a telescope […]"

Etymology

Unknown; perhaps from Anglo-Irish cuggermugger (“a whispering, a low-voiced gossiping”), from Irish cogar (“whisper”). Compare also Scots hudge-mudge, hody-moke, Swedish mjugg (“stealth, secrecy”).

Related phrases

hugger-muggery

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.