runt

American  

[ruhnt] / rʌnt /

noun

1. an animal that is small or stunted as compared with others of its kind.

2. the smallest or weakest of a litter, especially of piglets or puppies.

3. a person who is petty and contemptible.

   That runt causes most of the trouble at the meetings.

4. British Dialect.

   1. an old or decayed tree stump.

   2. an old cow or ox.

   3. an ugly old woman; hag.

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runt British  

/ rʌnt /

noun

1. the smallest and weakest young animal in a litter, esp the smallest piglet in a litter

2. derogatory an undersized or inferior person

3. a large pigeon, originally bred for eating

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Other Word Forms

• runtiness noun
• runtish adjective
• runtishly adverb
• runtishness noun
• runty adjective

Etymology

Origin of runt

First recorded in 1540–50; of uncertain origin, perhaps from Dutch rund “bull, cow, ox”; akin to German Rind “cattle”

Explanation

A runt is the very smallest baby animal in a litter — and it's also a derogatory word for a small person. If your little brother is sensitive about his height, it would be mean to call him a runt. The tiniest piglet in a pile of baby pigs at a local farm is the runt. In animal litters, the runt often suffers from being small and weak, and is sometimes unable to get enough of its mother's milk to live. It's clear where the disparaging version of runt came from; when you call someone a runt, you're calling them a weakling.

Example Sentences

Beguiled by photos of teensy piglets, she chose the runt of the litter—a tiny, shivering nugget for $350.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

"I'd stay up with her too, making sure all was okay. And it was, with even the runt of the litter thriving."

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

He’s the runt of the litter, and the comedy relief.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2025

What's special about runt is that it's highly conserved, meaning the same factor is responsible for regeneration in many different organisms, including non-symbiotic acoels.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2024

He was heading for the green fields of left, and the runt kid, sounding like two runners with his flap-soles slapping the bottoms of his feet, was chucking dust for third.

From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli