mutt
Americannoun
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a dog, especially a mongrel.
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a stupid or foolish person; simpleton.
noun
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an inept, ignorant, or stupid person
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a mongrel dog; cur
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
Besides, treating topical humor in the same way that a toothless, mangy mutt gums a dumpster bone is not the same as maintaining neutrality.
From Salon • Jul. 31, 2025
It was just a mutt who had been kicked around too much and was happy to find a creature who was afraid of it.
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
