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Friday, March 31, 2023

Mongering things (a comprehensive list of monger words)

English is a growing language with many quirks and niches.  For example, "-monger" as a suffix is way more common than most might expect.  Below is a list of -monger words that you are free to use in everyday speech and writing (if you have the opportunity).  I've purposefully listed them out of order to encourage a slow and bemused perusing rather than the experience of a cold dictionary.  However, d
efinitions below are provided reference-only and should not be considered as authoritative.  

Note that I'll be adding to this list over time.  Also, if you found a monger word that is not on this list, please comment below. 

  • bookmonger - bookseller
  • cheesemonger seller of cheese
  • lawmonger - one who practices of law
  • wondermonger - exploitor of strange or freakish things
  • noisemonger - performer of noisy music
  • doommonger prophesier of doom
  • panicmonger - spreader of panic
  • lovemonger - advocator for love; also fancymonger


  • starmonger - astrologer
  • ironmonger - seller of tools or the storage thereof; also toolmonger
  • eirmonger - seller of eggs; also eggmonger
  • beermonger - seller of beer
  • questionmonger - asker of many questions
  • fruitmonger - seller of fruit; also applemonger for apples
  • troublemonger - maker of trouble
  • woolmonger - seller of wool


  • hatemonger - pusher of hate against a person or group of people
  • balladmonger - composer of ballads
  • wordmonger -speaker or writer who communicates pretentiously
  • scandalmonger - spreader of gossip; also gossipmonger or newsmonger or sleazemonger or charactermonger or talemonger
  • prayermonger - one who prayers without true devotion
  • gospelmonger - peddler of holy gospel
  • smutmonger - publisher of a tabloid or other sensationalized news; also sensationmonger
  • loanmonger - dealer of loans


  •  fashionmonger - booster of fashion
  • racemonger - inciter of racial and ethnic tensions
  • cockmonger - procurer of cocks
  • peacemonger - one who is strictly pacifist
  • alemonger - seller of ale, including alewife
  • whoremonger - enjoyer of whores
  • hypemonger - one who hypes something
  • carpetmonger - dealer of carpets


  • boroughmonger - trader of parliamentary seats of boroughs
  • woomonger - pusher of pseudoscientific practices and information
  • costermonger - seller of goods from a cart or stall in the streets; also costardmonger
  • woodmonger - seller of wood
  • phrasemonger - speaker of phrases that were coined by others
  • scaremonger - spreader of fear-based rumors
  • barbermonger - a vain poser
  • rumormonger - spreader of rumors


  • haymonger - dealer of hay
  • miraclemonger - one who pretends to create miracles
  • fellmonger - dealer of animal hides
  • versemonger - writer of verses
  • statemonger - one who is well-versed in politics
  • profitmonger - exhibitor of greed; also moneymonger
  • relicmonger - dealer of religious relics
  • meritmonger - one who depends on merit from good deeds in order to earn salvation; also secondary use of workmonger


  • rulemonger - one who is insistent that rules must be followed
  • questmonger - one who engages in frivolous litigation
  • powermonger - irresponsible wielder of power
  • placemonger - trafficker of appointments to places
  • lightmonger - installer of light fixtures
  • deathmonger - murderer of many people; also killmonger
  • pussymonger - pimp; also fleshmonger or muttonmonger
  • filthmonger - purveyor of obscenities


  • dramamonger - provoker of dramatic situations
  • warmonger - advocator for war; see sciencemonger for secondary use
  • systemmonger - one who indulges in the construction of systems
  • poisonmonger - peddler of poison
  • winemonger - seller of wine
  • fishmonger - seller of fish
  • mealmonger - seller of meals
  • diseasemonger - one who tries to convince healthy or slightly ill people that their usually mild ailment urgently needs drug treatment


  • fearmonger - spreader of fear, or an alarmist
  • charitymonger - contributor of large sums of money to charities
  • spellmonger - caster of spells, or practitioner of magic; also magicmonger
  • cornmonger - dealer of grain; also grainmonger
  • storymonger - teller of stories
  • opportunitymonger - opportunist, often seeking immediate action
  • pearmonger - seller of pears
  • wealthmonger - one who is rich


  • knowledgemonger - seeker or purveyor of knowledge for betterment
  • artmonger - artist, dealer or promoter of art
  • ideamonger - dealer of ideas
  • disastermonger - warner of foreseeable disaster
  • commoditymonger - merchant
  • firemonger - starter of fires
  • bribemonger - taker of bribes
  • treasuremonger - seeker of treasure


  • carnagemonger - creator of carnage
  • dreammonger purveyor of hope; also hopemonger; or supernatural seller of actual dreams
  • healthmonger - promoter of healthy eating and life-style
  • superstitionmonger - purveyor of superstition
  • fortunemonger - promoter of fortune
  • historymonger - historian
  • spacemonger - optimizer of storage space
  • informationmonger - collector of information


  • pleasuremonger - seeker of pleasure
  • spymonger - one who spies or engages in spycraft
  • lifemonger - controller of lifeforce as a magical ability
  • speechmonger - expounder of arguments in support of an ideology
  • peltmonger - dealer of pelts
  • seafoodmonger - seller of seafood
  • soulmonger - trapper of souls
  • slavemonger - trader of slaves


  • weaponmonger - dealer or collector of weapons
  • churchmonger - proselytizer of a given church, congregation or faith, often in a pushy manner; similar to cultmonger or sectmonger or religionmonger (see sciencemonger for secondary use of religionmonger)
  • dealmonger - haggler or negotiator 
  • coalmonger - dealer of coal
  • sexmonger - promoter or engager of promiscuous sex
  • thoughtmonger - thinker of many thoughts
  • contractmonger - negotiator of contracts
  • crimemonger - writer of crime stories


  • drugmonger - trafficker of drugs
  • educationmonger - strict adherent to fact-based education
  • energymonger - something that consumes energy in a non-green manner
  • musicmonger - seller of music
  • propertymonger - investor in real estate
  • weathermonger - meteorologist; or controller of weather by means of magic
  • sciencemonger - gamer within a 4X game who focuses on acquiring scientific discoveries for a science-based victory; also technologymonger; similar to secondary use of religionmonger (religion-based victory), warmonger (conquest-based victory), diplomacymonger (diplomacy-based victory, and also culturemonger (culture-based victory)
  • secretmonger - dealer of secrets


  • timemonger - controller of time and alternate realities
  • workmonger - one who works excessively; see meritmonger above for secondary meaning
  • pillmonger - practitioner of medicine; or a dealer of illegal drugs
  • horsemonger - a dealer of horses
  • airmonger - schemer of unrealistic, hopeless or fanciful plans; or someone that has wildly impractical ideas or aspirations
  • bloodmonger - one who delights in bloodshed
  • witmonger - one who indulges in poor wit, also called a witling
  • timbermonger - seller of timber


  • breadmonger - seller of bread
  • sugarmonger - controller of the industry that supplies sugar
  • watermonger - seller of water
  • cattlemonger - dealer of cattle
  • flourmonger - seller of flour
  • doubtmonger - spreader of doubts and suspicions
  • brothelmonger - keeper of a brothel
  • coppermonger - dealer of copper


  • milkmonger - dealer of milk
  • honeymonger - beekeeper or dealer of honey
  • leadmonger - dealer of lead
  • oilmonger - dealer of oil (such as essentials oils)
  • gunmonger - dealer of guns; similar to weaponmonger
  • leathermonger - manufacturer of leather, or tanner
  • mustardmonger - seller of mustard
  • peppermonger - seller of pepper and other spices; similar to pepperer or spicer; also spicemonger


  • talismonger - dealer or creator of enchanted items, such as talismans and magical artifacts; also a practitioner who performs magic-related services, similar to spellmonger
  • saltmonger - seller of salt
  • butchermonger - seller of butcher's meat or a butcher; also meatmonger
  • vibesmonger - checker of vibes of a person, place or situation, such as state of mind and general ambiance; or a seeker of relaxed, cool and stress-free encounters
  • chaosmonger - creator of chaos, causer of trouble, or purveyor of disorder 

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