mooch

7 synonyms for mooch, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Verb — To get something, such as money or food, from someone else without paying or giving anything back; to sponge off others.

Synonyms

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

bum sponge

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

grub cadge cadger moocher scrounger

Synonyms by Meaning

1. verb

To get something, such as money or food, from someone else without paying or giving anything back; to sponge off others.

“He's always mooching cigarettes off his coworkers.”

bum sponge grub cadge cadger moocher scrounger

2. noun

A person who habitually sponges off others.

“Nobody wanted to lend him anything else — he had a reputation as a mooch.”

scrounger moocher cadger

How to use mooch

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

mooch off someone mooch a cigarette total mooch

Informal; used in casual speech, often with mild disapproval or teasing.

Etymology

From Middle English mouchen ("to skulk about, pretend poverty"), ultimately from an Old French word meaning "to hide or lurk" — the idea of sneaking about for a handout.

Full origin of mooch →

Frequently asked questions

What does “mooch” mean?

The word “mooch” means to get something, such as money or food, from someone else without paying or giving anything back; to sponge off others. In plain terms, to scrounge things off other people instead of paying your own way, or someone who does this.

How do you pronounce “mooch”?

“Mooch” is pronounced MOOCH (/ˈmuːt͡ʃ/ in IPA).

How do you use “mooch” in a sentence?

Here is “mooch” used in a sentence: “He's always mooching cigarettes off his coworkers.”

What part of speech is “mooch”?

Depending on how it is used, “mooch” can be a verb and a noun.

Where does the word “mooch” come from?

The word “mooch” comes from Old French. From Middle English mouchen ("to skulk about, pretend poverty"), ultimately from an Old French word meaning "to hide or lurk" — the idea of sneaking about for a handout.

How many meanings does “mooch” have?

“Mooch” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to get something, such as money or food, from someone else without paying or giving anything back; to sponge off others.

People also searched

bum sponge grub moocher cadge

Nearby words

← Back to the full definition of mooch