What does "mugwump" mean?
A (male) leader; an important (male) person.
Mugwump
/ˈmʌɡwʌmp/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A (male) leader; an important (male) person.
- Grammar: mugwump is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: anythingarian, apostate, backslider, backwardness.
- Usage evidence: He is a mutton-headed old mugwump.
How to use "mugwump"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "mugwump" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
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- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "mugwump" in a final draft.
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Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 A (male) leader; an important (male) person. humorous
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of mugwump. alt-of
- 3 a neutral or uncommitted person (especially in politics) wordnet
- 4 A member of the Republican Party who declined to support the party's nominee James G. Blaine (1830–1893) during the 1884 United States presidential election, believing him to be corrupt, and instead supported the Democratic Party's candidate Grover Cleveland (1837–1908). US, historical
- 5 someone who bolted from the Republican Party during the U.S. presidential election of 1884 wordnet
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 A person who purports to stay aloof from party politics. broadly
"The story of the capture of Vicksburg is the old, old story of failure turned into success, by which man is made immortal. It involves the history of a general who never retraced his steps, who cared neither for mugwump murmurs nor political cabals, who took both blame and praise with equanimity."
- 7 One who switches from supporting one political party to another, especially for personal benefit. Australia, US, broadly
- 8 A person who stays neutral or non-committal; a fence sitter; also, a person who maintains an aloof and often self-important demeanour. Australia, US, broadly, colloquial, derogatory
"Anthea hasn't a notion in her head but to vamp a lot of silly mugwumps. She's set her heart on that tennis bloke [...] whom the papers are making such a fuss about."
- 9 A foolish person. Australia
Verb
- 1 To behave like a mugwump. US, intransitive
- 2 To purport to stay aloof and independent, especially from party politics. US, intransitive
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"He is a mutton-headed old mugwump."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "mugwump"?
Common synonyms include: anythingarian, apostate, backslider, backwardness, big boy, big chief.
How do you use "mugwump" in a sentence?
He is a mutton-headed old mugwump.
How do you pronounce "mugwump"?
Pronounced /ˈmʌɡwʌmp/.
Etymology
The noun is borrowed from Massachusett mugquomp, mummugquomp (“war leader”). Folk etymology reinterpreted it as referring to a person who sat on the fence with their mug (“face”) on one side and wump (“rump”) on the other, which influenced political cartoons during the 1884 United States presidential election. The verb is derived from the noun.