Mong
/mɒŋ/noun
An offensive British slang term for a foolish or incompetent person, derived from an obsolete label for people with Down syndrome.
Did you know?“Mong” ultimately derives from “Mongol,” but its insulting sense developed through the now-discredited term “Mongoloid,” once used in medical classification.
Etymological Timeline
13th Century
Middle Mongolian
Mongγol
“The ethnonym used for the Mongol people; the deeper origin of the name remains uncertain.”
13th–14th Century
Latin
Mongolus
“A Latin form referring to a Mongol person or the Mongol people.”
16th Century
English
Mogul / Mongol
“Terms referring to Mongol rulers or peoples; “Mogul” later developed additional figurative meanings.”
19th Century
English
Mongoloid
“An obsolete racial and medical classification derived from “Mongol” plus the suffix “-oid,” meaning “resembling.””
Late 20th Century
British English
mong
“A shortened offensive slang form of “Mongoloid,” used as an insult toward someone regarded as foolish or incompetent.”
Modern English
English
mong
“A recognized but highly offensive slang insult, especially associated with British English.”