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Munted — Meaning in NZ Slang

Munted: Broken, wrecked, beyond repair. Pronunciation: MUN-tid.

What does "Munted" mean?

"Munted" means broken — properly broken. Not "needs a jiggle" broken; wrecked, cooked, beyond saving. A jandal with the plug pulled through? Munted. Phone screen after meeting concrete? Munted. The lawnmower that's been "about to be fixed" since 2019? Munted, mate, let it go.

The word earned its place in NZ history after the Christchurch earthquakes, when "the roads are munted" and "the chimney's munted" became the vernacular of a broken city — even making headlines and official quotes. Few slang words have carried so much genuine weight while still being, at heart, funny.

It stretches to people and states too: after a huge night, you might feel munted; after a marathon, your legs are munted. Its cousin "rooted" covers similar ground ("the engine's rooted"), and both share the great Kiwi talent for describing disaster with cheerful economy.

Origin

"Munted" surfaced in NZ (and some Australian) slang in the late 20th century, origin murky — possibly related to German "munt" wordplay or simply onomatopoeic for something crunched. It entered the national vocabulary permanently after the Christchurch earthquakes, when locals described their broken city with the only word that fit: munted.

Examples

• "Don't bother with the toaster, it's munted."
• "Dropped my phone off the deck — screen's absolutely munted."
• "How are the legs after the Tongariro Crossing?" "Munted."
• "The road's still munted from the slip, take the long way."

FAQs

What does "munted" mean in NZ slang?

"Munted" means broken, wrecked or completely ruined — objects, situations, or how you feel after a big night or a hard race. It implies beyond repair.

Why is "munted" associated with Christchurch?

After the 2010–2011 Christchurch earthquakes, locals widely used "munted" to describe the damaged city — it appeared in interviews, headlines and even official remarks, cementing the word in NZ history.

What's the difference between munted and rooted?

They're close cousins — both mean broken or ruined. "Rooted" leans slightly more toward exhausted or mechanically dead ("the engine's rooted"); munted is the all-rounder.

Related NZ slang: Gutted | She'll be right | Dairy | Hard out

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