Suffix · forms nouns
From Old English "mangere" (dealer, trader): forms nouns for traders and — more powerfully — spreaders of harmful things. Warmonger, scaremonger, fishmonger, ironmonger.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
-monger comes from Old English "mangere" (dealer, trader). It forms nouns meaning "trader in X" or "person who spreads X." The literal traders: fishmonger (fish seller), ironmonger (hardware dealer), cheesemonger, costermonger (street fruit/vegetable vendor). The figurative spreaders: warmonger (one who promotes war), scaremonger (one who spreads fear), hatemonger, rumormonger, gossipmonger.
The -monger that survived into modern literary and journalistic English is almost always negative or ironic. Calling someone a "warmonger" or "scaremonger" is a strong political accusation. In Shakespeare: "cheesemonger" appears as a mild insult in Henry IV Part 1. In modern political discourse: "warmonger" and "scaremonger" are powerful rhetorical weapons — accusing someone of deliberately spreading fear or promoting conflict for personal gain.
In British English, "fishmonger" (fish shop) and "ironmonger" (hardware shop) are still used as neutral trade terms and appear on high street signs. In American English, these were replaced by "fish market" and "hardware store." The literary/pejorative uses (warmonger, scaremonger, hatemonger) are universal in both varieties and appear constantly in journalism.
Noun + monger. Produces nouns for traders or spreaders of something.
In modern English, new -monger coinages are almost always pejorative: "fearmongering," "warmongering." The neutral trade sense survives only in a handful of British English words.
-monger/mʌŋɡər/ · rhymes with hunger
Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
"scaremonger" is active, not passive. A scaremonger deliberately creates and spreads fear, usually for political or commercial gain. NOT someone who is afraid, but someone who makes others afraid.
"fishmonger" (and "ironmonger") are still current in British English — you see them on shop signs, in menus, and in everyday speech. "I got this salmon from the fishmonger on the high street." Only in American English have they been largely replaced.
A trick to remember it
-monger = trader/dealer in X (British neutral) OR spreader of something bad (universal pejorative). Key words: warmonger, scaremonger, fishmonger. In modern English, new -monger coinages are almost always negative.
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
A "scaremonger" is someone who...
Exercise 3 · Pick the right one
"Fishmonger" is...
The suffix -monger from Old English "mangere" (dealer, trader): forms nouns for traders and — more powerfully — spreaders of harmful things. Warmonger, scaremonger, fishmonger, ironmonger. In Spanish it usually maps to comerciante de / propagador de.
The ending -monger is pronounced /mʌŋɡər/ · rhymes with hunger. For example, "warmonger".
"war" becomes "warmonger". It is a typical example of the -monger suffix.
From French "-ier": forms nouns for a person who works with something or carries out an activity. Pioneer, privateer, profiteer, buccaneer, engineer.
From Old English "-estre": forms person nouns associated with an activity or group. Trickster, gangster, prankster, youngster, spinster, mobster, hipster.
From Old English "wryhta" (worker, maker): forms nouns for skilled craftsmen and makers. Playwright, wheelwright, shipwright, wainwright, millwright.
-tion, -ness, -ful, -ly, -able... every ending you need to understand thousands of words at once.