mouton enragé

UK/ˌmuːtɒn ˌɒnɹæˈʒeɪ/US/ˈmu.tɑ̃ ɑ̃.ɹɹɑˈʒeɪ/

noun

A normally peaceful person who has become suddenly and uncharacteristically angry.

“For quotations using this term, see Citations:mouton enragé.”

OriginFrench mouton enragé →
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Meanings

nounmouton enragé (plural moutons enragés)

plural moutons enragés

  1. A normally peaceful person who has become suddenly and uncharacteristically angry.

    For quotations using this term, see Citations:mouton enragé.

    1 more example

    Remember not to enter the monastery; those monks can be real moutons enragés.

Origin

  1. Frenchmouton enragé
  2. Englishmouton enragé

First attested in 1826. Borrowed from French mouton enragé, a nickname given to French politician Nicolas de Condorcet by Turgot, from mouton (“sheep”) + enragé, past participle of enrager (“to enrage”).

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

mouton enragé. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mouton%20enrag%C3%A9

MLA

“mouton enragé.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mouton%20enrag%C3%A9. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mouton enragé,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mouton%20enrag%C3%A9.

Source: mouton enragé on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.