mullet

noun

mul·​let ˈmə-lət 

plural mullet or mullets

1

: any of a family (Mugilidae) of chiefly marine bony fishes with an elongated rather stout body compare goatfish, red mullet

2

[perhaps short for mullethead blockhead] : a hairstyle in which the hair is short on the sides and top and long at the back

Illustration of mullet

• mullet 1

Examples of mullet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s so much that has been occluded by the broad-brush depiction of the eighties as the awful age of Reagan, yuppies, shoulder pads, mullets, and synth-drums. —Literary Hub, 1 June 2026

Wasil, who has a neon-green mullet, adjusted the beaded boutonnière on Hollister’s lapel. —Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 1 June 2026

Kristen Stewart has sported every short hairstyle worth mentioning, but this impossibly ragged, exaggerated mullet feels like the correct choice for a grunge girl summer. —Calin Van Paris, InStyle, 27 May 2026

The mullet was the prevalent haircut. —Jennifer Acker, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English molet, from Anglo-French mulet, from Latin mullus red mullet, from Greek myllos

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mullet

• red mullet

Rhymes for mullet

• gullet
• rivulet

Kids Definition

mullet

noun

mul·​let ˈməl-ət 

plural mullet or mullets

: any of a family of mostly gray food fishes chiefly of salt water compare red mullet