Cup vs. Mug — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 7, 2023
A cup is generally a small, handle-less vessel used for drinking liquids, while a mug is a sturdier container with a handle, often used for hot beverages.
Difference Between Cup and Mug
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A cup is a versatile vessel primarily designed for consuming liquids. It can be made of various materials like glass, plastic, or ceramic. A mug, on the other hand, is usually made of thicker material and almost always has a handle, which makes it ideal for holding hot beverages.
The design of a cup often leans towards elegance and may come without a handle. Cups are versatile and are frequently used in formal settings such as tea parties or fine dining. Mugs are more casual in design and are often used in informal environments like offices or at home during breakfast.
Another characteristic that distinguishes a cup from a mug is its volume. Cups are generally smaller and hold less liquid compared to mugs. Mugs are designed to hold more liquid, which is why they are a popular choice for coffee drinkers who prefer larger servings.
The absence or presence of a lid can also help in identifying whether a vessel is a cup or a mug. Cups are more likely to come with a saucer and may occasionally have a lid, especially in some cultural contexts. Mugs are usually stand-alone and rarely come with a saucer or a lid.
In summary, both cups and mugs serve the primary function of holding liquids for consumption. However, they differ in design, volume, and the types of occasions they are most appropriate for, with cups generally being more formal and mugs being more casual.
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Comparison Chart
Handle
Usually without
Usually with
Material
Various (glass, plastic, etc.)
Thicker (ceramic, porcelain)
Volume
Smaller
Larger
Formality
More formal
More casual
Comes with Saucer
Often
Rarely
Compare with Definitions
Cup
A cup is a small container for liquids.
She took a sip of water from the cup.
Mug
A mug is a container with a handle for hot beverages.
She filled her mug with steaming hot coffee.
Cup
A cup is generally used for formal occasions.
The cup was part of a fine china set for high tea.
Mug
A mug is suitable for casual or informal settings.
He grabbed a mug from the kitchen shelf for his morning coffee.
Cup
A cup usually holds a smaller volume of liquid.
The cup was just large enough for a single shot of espresso.
Mug
A mug is made of thicker material than a cup.
The mug felt sturdy in his hand.
Cup
A cup often comes without a handle.
The cup was so fine that it had no handle.
Mug
A mug rarely comes with a saucer.
She placed the mug directly on the table without a saucer.
Cup
A cup may be made of various materials.
The cup was made of fine porcelain.
Mug
A mug usually has a larger volume than a cup.
The mug held enough coffee to keep her awake during the meeting.
Cup
A cup is an open-top container used to hold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay, wood, stone, polystyrene, plastic, aluminium or other materials, and are usually fixed with a stem, handles, or other adornments.
Mug
A mug is a type of cup typically used for drinking hot drinks, such as coffee, hot chocolate, or tea. Mugs usually have handles and hold a larger amount of fluid than other types of cup.
Cup
A small bowl-shaped container for drinking from, typically having a handle.
Mug
A heavy cylindrical drinking cup usually having a handle.
Cup
An ornamental trophy in the form of a cup, usually made of gold or silver and having a stem and two handles, awarded as a prize in a sports contest.
Mug
The amount that such a cup can hold.
Cup
A cup-shaped thing.
Mug
The human face.
Cup
A mixed drink made from fruit juices and typically containing wine or cider
The bars offered large glasses of white wine cup
A non-alcoholic fruit cup
Mug
The area of the human mouth, chin, and jaw.
Cup
Form (one's hand or hands) into the curved shape of a cup
‘Hey!’ Dad shouted, with his hands cupped around his mouth
Mug
A grimace.
Cup
Bleed (someone) by using a glass in which a partial vacuum is formed by heating
Dr Ross ordered me to be cupped
Mug
A mug shot.
Cup
A small open container, usually with a flat bottom and a handle, used for drinking.
Mug
A thug; a hoodlum.
Cup
Such a container and its contents.
Mug
Chiefly British Slang A victim or dupe.
Cup
Abbr. c. A unit of capacity or volume equal to 16 tablespoons or 8 fluid ounces (237 milliliters). See Table at measurement.
Mug
(Informal) To photograph (a person's face) for police files.
Cup
The bowl of a drinking vessel.
Mug
To threaten or assault (a person) with the intent to rob
Arrested the thief who mugged the tourists.
Cup
The chalice or the wine used in the celebration of the Eucharist.
Mug
To make exaggerated facial expressions, especially for humorous effect
The partygoers mugged for the camera.
Cup
A decorative cup-shaped vessel awarded as a prize or trophy.
Mug
A large cup for beverages, usually having a handle and used without a saucer.A mug
Cup
(Sports) A golf hole or the metal container inside a hole.
Mug
The face.
What an ugly mug.
Cup
Either of the two parts of a brassiere that fit over the breasts.
Mug
A gullible or easily-cheated person.
He's a gullible mug – he believed her again.
Cup
An athletic supporter having a protective reinforcement of rigid plastic or metal.
Mug
A stupid or contemptible person.
Cup
A sweetened, flavored, usually chilled beverage, especially one made with wine
Claret cup.
Mug
(slang) A criminal.
Cup
A dish served in a cup-shaped vessel
Fruit cup.
Mug
Motherfucker (usually in similes, e.g. "like a mug" or "as a mug")
Cup
A cuplike object.
Mug
(archaic) Easily fooled, gullible.
Cup
(Biology) A cuplike structure or organ.
Mug
Uninteresting or unpleasant.
Cup
A lot or portion to be suffered or enjoyed.
Mug
To strike in the face.
Cup
To shape like a cup
Cup one's hands.
Mug
(transitive) To assault for the purpose of robbery.
Cup
To place one's curved hand or hands over or around
Cupped his chin in his hands.
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
To subject to the therapeutic procedure of cupping.
Mug
(transitive) To photograph for identification; to take a mug shot.
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
To learn or review a subject as much as possible in a short time; cram.
Cup
The contents of said vessel.
I drank two cups of water but still felt thirsty.
Mug
A kind of ceramic or metal drinking cup, with a handle, - usually cylindrical and without a lip.
Cup
A customary unit of measure
Mug
The face or mouth; as, I don't want to see your ugly mug again; - often used contemptuously.
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
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
(Canada) A Canadian unit of measure equal to 8 imperial ounces (20 imperial gallon; 227.3 mL) or 250 mL.
Mug
The quantity that can be held in a mug
Cup
A British unit of measure equal to 2 imperial pint (10 imperial ounces; 284 mL) or 300 mL.
Mug
A person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of
Cup
A trophy in the shape of an oversized cup.
The World Cup is awarded to the winner of a quadrennial football tournament.
Mug
The human face (`kisser' and `smiler' and `mug' are informal terms for `face' and `phiz' is British)
Cup
A contest for which a cup is awarded.
The World Cup is the world's most widely watched sporting event.
Mug
With handle and usually cylindrical
Cup
(association football) The main knockout tournament in a country, organised alongside the league.
Mug
Rob at gunpoint or with the threat of violence;
I was mugged in the streets of New York last night
Cup
(golf) A cup-shaped object placed in the target hole.
The ball just misses the cup.
Cup
(in combination) Any of various sweetened alcoholic drinks.
Cider cup
Gin cup
Claret cup
Cup
A rigid concave protective covering for the male genitalia.
Players of contact sports are advised to wear a cup.
Cup
One of the two parts of a brassiere which each cover a breast.
The cups are made of a particularly uncomfortable material.
Cup
Prefixed with a letter, used as a measurement of bra or breast size.
Cup
(mathematics) The symbol denoting union and similar operations.
Cup
(tarot) A suit of the minor arcana in tarot, or one of the cards from the suit.
Cup
(ultimate frisbee) A defensive style characterized by a three player near defense cupping the thrower; or those three players.
Cup
A flexible concave membrane used to temporarily attach a handle or hook to a flat surface by means of suction.
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
Common Curiosities
What is a Cup?
A cup is a small, often handle-less vessel used for drinking liquids.
Do Cups have handles?
Cups usually do not have handles, though exceptions exist.
What material are Cups made of?
Cups can be made from a variety of materials, including glass, plastic, and ceramic.
Do Mugs have handles?
Yes, mugs almost always have handles.
How much liquid can a Mug hold?
Mugs usually hold larger volumes of liquid.
What is a Mug?
A mug is a sturdier container with a handle, often used for hot beverages.
How much liquid can a Cup hold?
Cups generally hold smaller volumes of liquid.
Is a Cup formal or informal?
Cups are generally more formal and can be used in fine dining settings.
What material are Mugs made of?
Mugs are generally made of thicker materials like ceramic or porcelain.
Can you put hot liquid in a Cup?
While you can put hot liquid in a cup, they are not specifically designed for it.
Are there lids for Cups and Mugs?
Cups may occasionally come with lids in certain cultures, whereas mugs rarely have lids.
Do Cups come with saucers?
Cups often come with saucers, especially in formal settings.
Do Mugs come with saucers?
Mugs rarely come with saucers.
Can you put hot liquid in a Mug?
Yes, mugs are designed to hold hot liquids.
Is a Mug formal or informal?
Mugs are usually considered informal and are commonly used in casual settings.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
