mongrel

noun

mon·​grel ˈmäŋ-grəl  ˈməŋ- 

1

: an individual resulting from the interbreeding of diverse breeds (see breed entry 2 sense 1) or strains (see strain entry 1 sense 1)

especially : one of unknown ancestry

She owns several dogs, one of which is a mongrel.

2

: a cross between types of persons or things

the cinema is … a mongrel of virtually all the other arts

—Gerald Mast

mongrel adjective

mongrelization

ˌmäŋ-grə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

ˌməŋ-

noun

mongrelize

ˈmäŋ-grə-ˌlīz 

ˈməŋ-

transitive verb

Synonyms

• hybrid
• mixed

Examples of mongrel in a Sentence

She owns several dogs, including a mongrel named Stella.

mongrels often suffer fewer health problems than purebreds

Recent Examples on the Web

The embrace of mongrel style is a recognition of the fact that nothing is pure. —Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 20 Aug. 2025

Reuters reported that the dog involved in the incident was a mongrel, or an unknown breed. —Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 10 July 2025

Infamously, Brazil suffered from the mongrel complex in the past and a new psychological barrier awaits at the 2026 World Cup when playing European teams. —Samindra Kunti, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025

The only other research dog breeder according to current USDA inventories is Oak Hill Genetics based in Franklin County in Illinois, which housed about 800 mongrel hound dogs in July. —Bymeredith Wadman, science.org, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, probably from mong mixture, short for ymong, from Old English gemong crowd — more at among

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

mongrel

1 of 2 noun

mon·​grel

ˈməŋ-grəl,

ˈmäŋ-

1

: the offspring of parents of different breeds (as of dogs)

especially : one whose ancestors are unknown

2

: a person or thing of mixed origin

mongrel

2 of 2 adjective

: of mixed or uncertain kind or origin