meathead

M3E1A1T1H4E1A1D2
US/ˈmitˌhɛd/

noun

An ungainly, dull, or stupid person; someone who is lazy, disrespectful, and/or whose beliefs and philosophies clash with those of another.

“Gary was a hulking meathead who, when he wasn't playing football, was either hunting, fishing or getting drunk and rowdy in some topless bar.”

Similar
brutejock
UncommonScrabble 14
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Meanings

nounmeathead (plural meatheads)

plural meatheads

  1. slangAn ungainly, dull, or stupid person; someone who is lazy, disrespectful, and/or whose beliefs and philosophies clash with those of another.
  2. slangA large, muscular, stupid man, especially an athlete.

    Gary was a hulking meathead who, when he wasn't playing football, was either hunting, fishing or getting drunk and rowdy in some topless bar.

    Synonyms: brute, jock

  3. CanadaslanggovernmentA member of the Canadian Forces Military Police.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA large, muscular, stupid man, especially an athlete.

Similar
brutejock
Also see
crayon eaterfoolidiotmeatbrainmusclebrainmusclehead

Origin

From meat + head. The term meathead is often said to come from the popular sitcom All In The Family (first aired 1971), wherein main character Archie Bunker uses the nickname to address his son-in-law Michael Stivic, but there are numerous earlier attestations of the word, some as early as 1863.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Hungarian hústorony
  • hústoronylarge, muscular, stupid man, especially an athlete
Korean 바보
  • 바보 (babo)stupid person
Norwegian Bokmål kjøtthue
  • kjøtthuestupid person
Yiddish שטיק פֿלייש מיט צוויי אויגן, עשׂו
  • שטיק פֿלייש מיט צוויי אויגן (shtik fleysh mit tsvey oygn)stupid person
  • עשׂו (eysev)large, muscular, stupid man, especially an athlete
  • חזיר־שלעגער (kházer-shlèger)large, muscular, stupid man, especially an athlete
  • שלעגער (shleger)large, muscular, stupid man, especially an athlete

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

headmate
Cite this entry
APA

meathead. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meathead

MLA

“meathead.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meathead. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “meathead,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meathead.

Source: meathead on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.