mongrel

[muhng-gruhl, mong-]

noun

1. a dog of mixed or indeterminate breed.

   Synonyms: mutt

2. any animal or plant resulting from the crossing of different breeds or varieties.

   Synonyms: half-breed, cross
   Antonyms: purebred, thoroughbred

3. any cross between different things, especially if inharmonious or indiscriminate.

adjective

1. of mixed breed, nature, or origin; of or like a mongrel.

mongrel

/ ˈmʌŋɡrəl /

noun

1. a plant or animal, esp a dog, of mixed or unknown breeding; a crossbreed or hybrid

2. taboo,  a person of mixed race

3. sport toughness and physical aggression

   a tall southpaw with plenty of mongrel

adjective

1. of mixed origin, breeding, character, etc

Other Word Forms

• mongrelism noun
• mongrelness noun
• mongrelly adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mongrel¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English (once): heraldic term for a type of dog; equivalent to mong(e) “mixture” ( Old English gemang; mingle ) + -rel

Word History and Origins

Origin of mongrel¹

C15: from obsolete mong mixture; compare Old English gemong a mingling

Synonym Study

See hybrid.

Example Sentences

The only thing I care about is that women from Middle America who are not disgusting mongrels see the special.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

England will need their inner mongrel in Australia, Stokes included.

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Bruce, "the rescue centre mongrel", sadly died from the tumour at the age of 12.

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They have not yet missed Stuart Broad's bowling because of how few pacemen have been chosen on the tour, but they have missed his mongrel.

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Not so much dog days as the mongrel years.

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When To Use

What does mongrel mean?

The word mongrel is most commonly used to refer to a dog that’s a mix of breeds or whose breed is unknown. It’s used in the same way as the word mutt, and, like mutt, can be negative or ironically affectionate.  However, mongrel is also a racist slur applied to people who are considered to be or who identify as mixed-race. The racist slur half-breed is used in the same way. Even when it’s applied to a person without regard to race, mongrel can still carry racist connotations, namely the implication that such a person’s behavior is like that of people whom racists consider inferior. Less commonly, mongrel is applied to animals other than dogs (and other living things, like plants) to indicate that they are a result of crossbreeding. It has traditionally also been used in more general ways (as both a noun and an adjective) in reference to anything that’s the result of combining multiple unlike sources, as in English is a mongrel language. Such uses are usually derogatory, implying that such things are impure or deficient. The word hybrid is a neutral way to describe plants and animals that are a result of crossbreeding or, in the case of nonliving things, some kind of combination.