mob

1 of 2

noun

ˈmäb 

1

: a large and disorderly crowd of people

especially : one bent on riotous or destructive action

2

informal : a large number of people

a mob of shoppers clogged the aisles

a team greeted by mobs of fans

3

: a criminal set : gang

especially, often capitalized : mafia sense 1

a member of the Mob

a mob informant

4

old-fashioned : the common people : masses

5

chiefly Australia : a flock, drove, or herd of animals

mobbish

ˈmä-bish 

adjective

mob

2 of 2

verb

mobbed; mobbing

transitive verb

1

: to crowd about and attack or annoy

mobbed by autograph hunters

a crow mobbed by songbirds

2

: to crowd into or around

customers mob the stores on sale days

Synonyms

Noun

• army
• bike [chiefly Scottish]
• cram
• crowd
• crush
• drove
• flock
• herd
• horde
• host
• legion
• mass
• multitude
• press
• rout
• scrum
• swarm
• throng

Verb

• crowd
• flock
• swarm
• throng

Choose the Right Synonym for mob

crowd, throng, horde, crush, mob mean an assembled multitude.

crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together.

a crowd gathered

throng and horde suggest movement and pushing.

a throng of reporters

a horde of shoppers

crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort.

a crush of fans

mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence.

an angry mob

Examples of mob in a Sentence

Noun

The angry mob smashed store windows and attacked people on the streets.

The police had to be called in to handle the growing mob.

He was jailed for his dealings with the Mob.

Verb

The actor's fans mobbed him wherever he went.

Shoppers mobbed the stores during the holidays.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The smuggling operation only enhances the dangers for aid convoys operating in Gaza, which have already faced mobs of Palestinians stopping them in their tracks. —Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 19 June 2024

More than 4,000 Black men, women and children were killed by White mobs between 1877 and 1950. —Victor Blackwell, CNN, 19 June 2024

Verb

Instead, Steel claimed, Young Thug was mobbing for God. —Zoe Guy, Vulture, 11 June 2024

As the utility man circled the bases, Yankees pitchers could be seen cheering for him in the bullpen before more teammates mobbed the ecstatic 26-year-old in the dugout. —Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 12 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latin mobile vulgus vacillating crowd

First Known Use

Noun

1688, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1696, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mob

• flash mob
• lynch mob
• mob boss
• mob scene
• the mob

Kids Definition

mob

1 of 2 noun

ˈmäb 

1

: the common people : masses

2

: a large rowdy crowd : rabble

3

: a criminal gang

mob

2 of 2 verb

mobbed; mobbing

: to crowd about and attack or annoy