Cup vs. Mug: What's the Difference?
By Janet White || Updated on October 5, 2023
A cup is a small, open container for holding liquids, often with a handle. A mug is a larger, cylindrical vessel with a handle, typically used for hot beverages.
Key Differences
A cup is a general term for a vessel that holds liquids. Cups can come in various shapes, sizes, and materials, such as glass, plastic, or ceramic. They may or may not have handles, and some are specially designed for particular types of beverages like tea or espresso.
In contrast, a mug is a specific type of cup that usually has a handle and a cylindrical shape. Mugs are primarily designed to hold hot beverages like coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. They are often thicker and have a larger capacity than typical cups, making them more suitable for serving hot liquids.
In terms of grammar, both "cup" and "mug" function as nouns. While "cup" can also be used as a verb meaning to shape your hand into a cup-like form, "mug" can also refer to an act of robbery or the facial expressions one makes (as in "to mug for the camera").
From an idiomatic standpoint, the usage of "cup" and "mug" can differ. Phrases like "a cup of joe" and "a mug of beer" reflect the beverages typically associated with each container. While a "cup" often represents delicacy or formality, a "mug" conveys a more casual or hearty atmosphere.
Comparison Chart
Primary Use
General-purpose liquid container
Hot beverages like coffee and tea
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Shape
Various shapes
Typically cylindrical
Handle
May or may not have
Almost always has
Grammatical Role
Noun, sometimes verb ("to cup")
Noun, sometimes verb ("to mug")
Idiomatic Usage
"Cup of tea," "World Cup"
"Mug of beer," "mug shot"
Cup and Mug Definitions
Cup
Liquid Holder
She filled the cup with water.
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Mug
Coffee Container
He poured coffee into his favorite mug.
Cup
Tea Vessel
A cup of tea would be lovely.
Mug
Theft Act
He got mugged in the alley.
Cup
A small open container, usually with a flat bottom and a handle, used for drinking.
Mug
Large Cup
A mug typically holds more liquid than a cup.
Cup
Such a container and its contents.
Mug
Beer Holder
A cold mug of beer is refreshing.
Cup
Abbr. c. A unit of capacity or volume equal to 16 tablespoons or 8 fluid ounces (237 milliliters). See Table at measurement.
Mug
A heavy cylindrical drinking cup usually having a handle.
Cup
The bowl of a drinking vessel.
Mug
The amount that such a cup can hold.
Cup
The chalice or the wine used in the celebration of the Eucharist.
Mug
The human face.
Cup
A decorative cup-shaped vessel awarded as a prize or trophy.
Mug
The area of the human mouth, chin, and jaw.
Cup
(Sports) A golf hole or the metal container inside a hole.
Mug
A grimace.
Cup
Either of the two parts of a brassiere that fit over the breasts.
Mug
A mug shot.
Cup
An athletic supporter having a protective reinforcement of rigid plastic or metal.
Mug
A thug; a hoodlum.
Cup
A sweetened, flavored, usually chilled beverage, especially one made with wine
Claret cup.
Mug
Chiefly British Slang A victim or dupe.
Cup
A dish served in a cup-shaped vessel
Fruit cup.
Mug
(Informal) To photograph (a person's face) for police files.
Cup
A cuplike object.
Mug
To threaten or assault (a person) with the intent to rob
Arrested the thief who mugged the tourists.
Cup
(Biology) A cuplike structure or organ.
Mug
To make exaggerated facial expressions, especially for humorous effect
The partygoers mugged for the camera.
Cup
A lot or portion to be suffered or enjoyed.
Mug
A large cup for beverages, usually having a handle and used without a saucer.A mug
Cup
To shape like a cup
Cup one's hands.
Mug
The face.
What an ugly mug.
Cup
To place one's curved hand or hands over or around
Cupped his chin in his hands.
Mug
A gullible or easily-cheated person.
He's a gullible mug – he believed her again.
Cup
To subject to the therapeutic procedure of cupping.
Mug
A stupid or contemptible person.
Cup
A concave vessel for drinking from, usually made of opaque material (as opposed to a glass) and with a handle.
Pour the tea into the cup.
Mug
(slang) A criminal.
Cup
The contents of said vessel.
I drank two cups of water but still felt thirsty.
Mug
Motherfucker (usually in similes, e.g. "like a mug" or "as a mug")
Cup
A customary unit of measure
Mug
(archaic) Easily fooled, gullible.
Cup
(US) A US unit of liquid measure equal to 8 fluid ounces (16 of a US gallon; 236.5882365 mL) or 240 mL.
Mug
Uninteresting or unpleasant.
Cup
(Canada) A Canadian unit of measure equal to 8 imperial ounces (20 imperial gallon; 227.3 mL) or 250 mL.
Mug
To strike in the face.
Cup
A British unit of measure equal to 2 imperial pint (10 imperial ounces; 284 mL) or 300 mL.
Mug
(transitive) To assault for the purpose of robbery.
Cup
A trophy in the shape of an oversized cup.
The World Cup is awarded to the winner of a quadrennial football tournament.
Mug
(intransitive) To exaggerate a facial expression for communicative emphasis; to make a face, to pose, as for photographs or in a performance, in an exaggerated or affected manner.
The children weren't interested in sitting still for a serious photo; they mugged for the camera.
Cup
A contest for which a cup is awarded.
The World Cup is the world's most widely watched sporting event.
Mug
(transitive) To photograph for identification; to take a mug shot.
Cup
(association football) The main knockout tournament in a country, organised alongside the league.
Mug
To learn or review a subject as much as possible in a short time; cram.
Cup
(golf) A cup-shaped object placed in the target hole.
The ball just misses the cup.
Mug
A kind of ceramic or metal drinking cup, with a handle, - usually cylindrical and without a lip.
Cup
(in combination) Any of various sweetened alcoholic drinks.
Cider cup
Gin cup
Claret cup
Mug
The face or mouth; as, I don't want to see your ugly mug again; - often used contemptuously.
Cup
A rigid concave protective covering for the male genitalia.
Players of contact sports are advised to wear a cup.
Mug
To take property from (a person) in a public place by threatening or committing violence on the person who is robbed; to rob, especially to rob by use of a weapon such as a knife or gun.
Cup
One of the two parts of a brassiere which each cover a breast.
The cups are made of a particularly uncomfortable material.
Mug
The quantity that can be held in a mug
Cup
Prefixed with a letter, used as a measurement of bra or breast size.
Mug
A person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of
Cup
(mathematics) The symbol denoting union and similar operations.
Mug
The human face (`kisser' and `smiler' and `mug' are informal terms for `face' and `phiz' is British)
Cup
(tarot) A suit of the minor arcana in tarot, or one of the cards from the suit.
Mug
With handle and usually cylindrical
Cup
(ultimate frisbee) A defensive style characterized by a three player near defense cupping the thrower; or those three players.
Mug
Rob at gunpoint or with the threat of violence;
I was mugged in the streets of New York last night
Cup
A flexible concave membrane used to temporarily attach a handle or hook to a flat surface by means of suction.
Mug
Facial Expression
She mugged for the camera.
Cup
Anything shaped like a cup.
The cup of an acorn
Cup
A cupping glass or other vessel or instrument used to produce the vacuum in cupping.
Cup
(figurative) That which is to be received or indured; that which is allotted to one; a portion of blessings and afflictions.
Cup
(transitive) To form into the shape of a cup, particularly of the hands.
Cup your hands and I'll pour some rice into them.
Cup
(transitive) To hold something in cupped hands.
He cupped the ball carefully in his hands.
Cup
(transitive) To pour (a liquid, drink, etc.) into a cup.
We are cupping some new brands of coffee today.
Cup
To supply with cups of wine.
Cup
To apply a cupping apparatus to; to subject to the operation of cupping.
Cup
To make concave or in the form of a cup.
To cup the end of a screw
Cup
A small vessel, used commonly to drink from; as, a tin cup, a silver cup, a wine cup; especially, in modern times, the pottery or porcelain vessel, commonly with a handle, used with a saucer in drinking tea, coffee, and the like.
Cup
The contents of such a vessel; a cupful.
Give me a cup of sack, boy.
Cup
Repeated potations; social or excessive indulgence in intoxicating drinks; revelry.
Thence from cups to civil broils.
Cup
That which is to be received or indured; that which is allotted to one; a portion.
O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.
Cup
Anything shaped like a cup; as, the cup of an acorn, or of a flower.
The cowslip's golden cup no more I see.
Cup
A cupping glass or other vessel or instrument used to produce the vacuum in cupping.
Cup
To supply with cups of wine.
Cup us, till the world go round.
Cup
To apply a cupping apparatus to; to subject to the operation of cupping. See Cupping.
Cup
To make concave or in the form of a cup; as, to cup the end of a screw.
Cup
A United States liquid unit equal to 8 fluid ounces
Cup
The quantity a cup will hold;
He drank a cup of coffee
He borrowed a cup of sugar
Cup
A small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle;
He put the cup back in the saucer
The handle of the cup was missing
Cup
A large metal vessel with two handles that is awarded as a trophy to the winner of a competition;
The school kept the cups is a special glass case
Cup
Any cup-shaped concavity;
Bees filled the waxen cups with honey
He wore a jock strap with a metal cup
The cup of her bra
Cup
The hole (or metal container in the hole) on a golf green;
He swore as the ball rimmed the cup and rolled away
Put the flag back in the cup
Cup
A punch served in a pitcher instead of a punch bowl
Cup
Cup-shaped plant organ
Cup
Form into the shape of a cup;
She cupped her hands
Cup
Put into a cup;
Cup the milk
Cup
Treat by applying evacuated cups to the patient's skin
Cup
Trophy
The team won the World Cup.
Cup
Measurement Unit
Add a cup of sugar to the mix.
Cup
Container Shape
He cupped his hands to collect rainwater.
FAQs
Do mugs always have handles?
Almost always, as they are designed for hot liquids.
Can cups have handles?
Yes, some cups have handles, but it's not a requirement.
What does "mug shot" mean?
It's a photographic portrait taken after one is arrested.
Are cups and mugs made of the same material?
They can be, but mugs are often thicker to hold hot liquids.
Can I microwave a cup?
It depends on the material. Always check manufacturer guidelines.
Is a mug a type of cup?
Yes, a mug is a specific type of cup designed for hot beverages.
Can "mug" be a verb?
Yes, "to mug" can refer to robbery or making a facial expression.
Is a cup more formal than a mug?
Generally, yes. Cups are often used in more formal settings.
Can "cup" be a verb?
Yes, "to cup" can mean to shape something like a cup.
What's the capacity of a mug?
Typically larger than a cup, often around 12 to 16 ounces.
Can "cup" refer to a trophy?
Yes, like in "World Cup."
Can I microwave a mug?
Most mugs are microwave-safe, but always check first.
What's the capacity of a cup?
It varies but is generally smaller than a mug.
Is "mug" more casual than "cup"?
Generally, yes. Mugs are often used in more casual settings.
Is a "cup of joe" coffee?
Yes, it's an American idiom for coffee.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
