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Mitty

American  
[mit-ee] / ˈmɪt i /

noun

  1. Walter Mitty.


Mitty British  
/ ˈmɪtɪ /

noun

    1. a fictional character given to grand and elaborate fantasies; daydreamer

    2. ( as modifier )

      a Walter Mitty character

      a Mitty act

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of Mitty

C20: from a short story The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1939), by James Thurber

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“She’s so incredibly shifty,” Mitty coach Sue Phillips said of Smith.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2026

Jones said he spotted his Walter Mitty dressed as "a senior rank in the RAF" and "wearing medals he wasn't entitled to".

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2026

For more than a decade, a group of anonymous veterans known as the Walter Mitty Hunters Club say they have made it their mission to help expose frauds posing as military service men or women.

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2026

On Saturday night, Etiwanda won a record third consecutive Open Division state championship with 75-59 win over San José Archbishop Mitty at Golden 1 Center.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2025

“To aging Walter Mitty types like myself, Dick Bass was an inspiration,” Seaborn Beck Weathers explained in a thick East Texas twang during the trek to Everest Base Camp last April.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

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