mooch

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /mutʃ/ UK /muːtʃ/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to beg or sponge off others; to loiter aimlessly

He's always trying to mooch a cigarette off someone at the party.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to beg or sponge off... spongescroungecadge beg loiter loaf

Word family

Derived forms moochermooching

Etymology

Of uncertain origin, recorded from late Middle English mychen ('to pilfer, skulk'), possibly from Old French muchier ('to hide, lurk'); the modern 'sponge off others' sense developed in 19th-century slang.

muchier Old French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# mooch

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /mutʃ/
**IPA (UK):** /muːtʃ/

## Meanings
1. to beg or sponge off others; to loiter aimlessly

## Examples
- He's always trying to mooch a cigarette off someone at the party.

## Synonyms
- sponge
- scrounge
- cadge
- beg
- loiter
- loaf

## Derived Forms
- moocher
- mooching

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: muchier

## Etymology
Of uncertain origin, recorded from late Middle English mychen ('to pilfer, skulk'), possibly from Old French muchier ('to hide, lurk'); the modern 'sponge off others' sense developed in 19th-century slang.

## AI Etymology
Mooch is of uncertain origin, recorded from late Middle English mychen ('to pilfer, skulk'), possibly from Old French muchier ('to hide, lurk'); the modern 'sponge off others' sense developed in 19th-century slang. The etymological trail includes Old French muchier. The same word family includes moocher, mooching. Its current verb use means "to beg or sponge off others; to loiter aimlessly".

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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