mutt

American  

[muht] / mʌt /

Or mut

noun

Slang.

1. a dog, especially a mongrel.

2. a stupid or foolish person; simpleton.

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mutt British  

/ mʌt /

noun

1. an inept, ignorant, or stupid person

2. a mongrel dog; cur

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Etymology

Origin of mutt

1900–05, short for muttonhead

Explanation

A mutt is any dog that's a combination of different breeds, rather than one identifiable breed. Your beloved mutt might be as big as a Golden Retriever but with short, Corgi-like legs. Most dogs are mutts, and many of their owners are fine with the word mutt, despite the word's original implication of "inferior, mixed breed dog." Dogs called crossbreeds are deliberately bred to combine characteristics of two or more recognized breeds, while mutts — also known as mongrels — are the result of accidental mixing of breeds. In the late 1800s, mutt was a derogatory term meaning either "stupid person" or "stupid dog."

Example Sentences

When Bronner pulled up to company headquarters in his Tesla—a dragon decal along the side and a speckled mutt in the back seat—he was 30 minutes late.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Paul Conyngham's months-long quest to fight his rescue mutt Rosie's cancer has grabbed the attention of OpenAI boss Sam Altman, who called it an "amazing story" in an X post on Friday.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

A mutt owned by Ed Koch’s chef also hung out at the residence.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

With apologies to Felicity, the film’s mutt is so obnoxious that you can’t wait for the inevitable moment when it disappears from the story.

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2025

Then one of them, a good-size mutt with silky waves of blond fur takes a running start and leaps onto the horn.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

• pooch