verb / noun
mooch
MOOCH/muːtʃ/
To get things from others without paying or giving anything in return.
The diner mooches a meal from his companion while keeping his own money.
Etymology
Mooch probably comes from a verb meaning “hide” or “conceal.” Its early English sense was “pretend poverty,” before it came to mean getting things from others without giving anything back.
In context
he couldn t even mooch a bite at his own parents place
More examples
- Can I mooch a ride to the store?
- She stopped letting her cousin mooch off her.
- Don't be a mooch; bring something to share.
Forms
mooch · mooches · mooched · mooching
moocher noun — Someone who habitually takes without giving back.
Similar words
- sponge
- Emphasizes depending on someone else's generosity for support.
- freeload
- Emphasizes using shared resources without contributing a fair share.