muggins

M3U1G2G2I1N1S1
/ˈmʌ.ɡɪnz/

noun

A fool or idiot (especially as an ironic way of referring to oneself).

“I suppose muggins here will have to do all the work, as usual.”

RareScrabble 11

Meanings

nounmuggins (countable and uncountable, plural mugginses)

plural mugginses

  1. UKcountableuncountableA fool or idiot (especially as an ironic way of referring to oneself).

    I suppose muggins here will have to do all the work, as usual.

    1 more example

    "And I thought: if muggins here, a 37-year-old government minister who can look after myself, feels that way, then we need to really think about how we're putting in place a level of protection for women.

    2022 April 6, “Network News: Booze ban continues as part of move to prioritise women's safety”, in RAIL, number 954, page 6
  2. countableuncountablecribbageThe act of stealing another player's points because they either mispegged or counted up incorrectly.
  3. uncountableA game of dominoes in which the object is to make the sum of the two ends of the line some multiple of five.
  4. uncountableA card game based on building in suits or matching exposed cards, the object being to get rid of one's cards.

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna person who lacks good judgment

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Origin unknown. Sense 'fool' originally British slang of 1770s, probably an extension of earlier mug (“fool”). Game senses perhaps from surname Muggins.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French bibi
  • bibifool or idiot
German Dummkopf, Idiot
  • Dummkopffool or idiot
  • Idiotfool or idiot
Polish frajer, frajerka
  • frajerfool or idiot
  • frajerkafool or idiot

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with muggins

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

muggins. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/muggins

MLA

“muggins.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/muggins. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “muggins,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/muggins.

Source: muggins on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.