Hugger-mugger
[HUHG-er-MUHG-er]
Part of speech: adjective
Origin: Unknown, 16th century
1.
Chaotic and disorganized
2.
Conducted with a secret or clandestine nature
Examples of Hugger-mugger in a sentence
"You could barely see the carpet in the hugger-mugger bedroom."
"His motives were unclear, but the hugger-mugger requests were suspicious."
About Hugger-mugger
The origin of "hugger-mugger" is unknown, but there are guesses tying it to the Middle English word "mukre," meaning to hoard or conceal. It’s not an incredibly well-known word, but if you start incorporating it into your vocabulary to describe any kind of chaotic or secretive situation, it’s sure to catch on again.
Did you Know?
"Hugger-mugger" can be used as an adjective, such as the definitions given here. It can also be a noun, with similar definitions to the adjective. A situation would be a hugger-mugger, rather than being described as hugger-mugger. You can even use this rhyming word as a verb, when you are keeping something concealed.
