Meaning & use
mutt
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Meanings
nouncountableinformal
A dog of mixed or unknown breed, often said fondly.
Grammar: Countable: a mutt, two mutts.
Patterns
- a mutt from the shelter
We adopted a scruffy mutt from the shelter.
The little mutt followed the children home.
Their mutt is smarter than most pedigree dogs.
nouncountableslangold-fashionedoffensive
A stupid or foolish person.
Grammar: Countable, old slang and insulting when used of a person.
Patterns
- a mutt
In old films, the detective sometimes calls a fool a mutt.
Calling someone a mutt is rude and best avoided.
The character in the book was dismissed as a mutt by his rivals.
Word forms
| plural | mutts |
|---|
Common combinations
- scruffy mutt
- A scruffy mutt waited by the back door.
- lovable mutt
- Their lovable mutt greets every visitor.
- rescue mutt
- They have a rescue mutt named Biscuit.
- adopt a mutt
- We decided to adopt a mutt from the shelter.
- loyal mutt
- The loyal mutt stayed by his owner's side.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mongrel
- Mongrel is more neutral in British English but can sound unkind, while mutt is usually affectionate.
- crossbreed
- Crossbreed is a technical term for a dog with parents of two known breeds, which is more exact than mutt.
- mixed-breed
- Mixed-breed is the polite, formal term used by vets and shelters.
- cur
- Cur is old-fashioned and often insulting for an aggressive dog of mixed breed.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: mutt or mutton? mutt or mute?
mutt vs mutton
Mutton is meat from an adult sheep, not a dog, though the beginnings look alike.
mutt vs mute
Mute means silent and has nothing to do with a dog's breed.
Practice
A shelter worker says, 'This friendly little mutt needs a home.' What is the dog?
Choose one answer.
A mutt is a dog of mixed or uncertain breed. Nothing in the word suggests a pedigree, a newborn or a guard dog.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mutt”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.