Insults and Compliments from Recent Slang

Wordplay
Insults
Insults and Compliments from Recent Slang
3d rendering of a basketball player mid-leap
Ick & Aura
ick - a feeling of disgust or repulsion

aura - ‘cool’ factor; star power; stylish swagger

While both ick and aura are used to describe a quality someone gives off, they sit at opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. Aura refers to stylishness, confident swagger, and charisma. Ick, on the other hand (and it’s usually the ick), describes a sudden feeling of such profound disgust that it causes a permanent reversal in feeling toward someone. Having aura draws people to you, while giving them the ick sends them running.


illustration of a thumbs up
Buns & Gas
buns - bad, terrible, of poor quality

gas - excellent, awesome, great, etc.

To the uninitiated, buns and gas look like they could be slang synonyms; they are, however, far apart in meaning. Buns means "bad" or "terrible" and is used to describe things of poor quality, originating from the long-standing use of the word to refer to the buttocks (joining a family of posterior-related put-downs like butt and ass). Gas, on the other hand, means "excellent," "awesome," or "great," and can even serve as a synonym for exciting or hilarious. So while you might call a disappointing concert buns, you'd call an amazing one gas.


3d rendering of a gold trophy
Photo: Unsplash
Performative Male & Sigma
performative male - a man who engages in stereotypically “sensitive” activities to appeal to women

sigma - a coolly independent, successful man

The sigma is defined by self-assured, cool independence; a "lone wolf" type whose status and attractiveness come from his individualism and nonconformism, with no apparent need for the approval of others. The performative male, by contrast, actively seeks approval; a man who engages insincerely in certain activities or behaviors to appear safe, sophisticated, or feminist, with the ulterior motive of impressing others, especially women. It is worth noting that although these words describe very different types, both can be used dismissively; sigma is occasionally found employed in a mocking way.


3d rendering of a male with sunglasses on and big styled hair
Chud & Chad
chud - a fool, jerk, troll, etc.

Chad - a stereotypical alpha male; a man, admired or scorned for brazen self-confidence

A chad is a stereotypical alpha male (confident, dominant, and physically formidable), a term that originated as an insult in incel communities but has since taken on a more positive, even admiring, tone in mainstream use. Chud is a straightforward term of disparagement, used as a synonym for fool or jerk. In short, a chad is defined by an excess of (often swaggering) confidence, while a chud is defined by ignorance or loutish behavior. And though the two can overlap as insults, calling someone a chad can actually be a compliment these days, whereas calling someone a chud never is.


3d render of stylish pink sunglasses and a pink purse and blue high heels
Photo: Unsplash
Headass & Baddie
headass - a foolish, ridiculous, or inept person

baddie - a confident, stylish, and attractive woman

The word baddie is positive, complimentary, and often celebratory. Headass is a mild insult, but an insult nonetheless. Both words began in African American English before entering into mainstream internet.


3d rendering of a spilled ice cream cone
Cooked & Locked In
cooked - having achieved a state of failure; being doomed

lock in - to enter a state of deep focus

One of these is a rallying cry, and the other is a sob of resignation. You need to lock in to avoid being cooked.


3d render of a microwave
Reheat Nachos & Slap
reheat nachos - to produce a lesser version of or poor tribute to an earlier song, album, etc.

slap - to exhibit excellence (used especially of a song)

Both of these slang terms are most commonly applied to music, but they sit on opposite sides of the album, so to speak. Slap conveys enthusiastic approval, and while it's most often used to describe music with an infectious groove, it can also apply to anything of high quality. Reheat nachos is typically used to criticize an artist for unoriginality. Slap can also be used in a non-musical vein; there are cases where people will even say that a sandwich slaps. Reheat nachos has not really broadened semantically to describe food, although you could always use it literally, to refer to actually reheating nachos.


3d rendering of a message text box
SYBAU & HMU
SYBAU - an angrier way to say ‘shut up’ online

HMU - a request for someone to contact you.

SYBAU and HMU may both be acronyms, but they serve very different social purposes. HMU is an invitation, a friendly way of asking someone to get in touch (it’s commonly used in social media posts to sell something, or to announce a gathering). SYBAU is anything but inviting. It stands for "shut your bitch ass up" and is found (sometimes with tongue-in-cheek humor, but usually with genuine hostility) in online arguments. You can think of them as HMU opening a door and SYBAU slamming one shut.


3d illustration of an ugly multicolored monster holding a balloon
Chopped & Zaddy
chopped - unattractive or undesirable

zaddy - an attractive older man

Just remember: a zaddy is never chopped.


Last Updated: 27 Feb 2026
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19 Words for the Cranky and Disagreeable
We're not mad. You're mad.
cranky disagreeable words disputatious
Disputatious
Definition - inclined to dispute

Disputatious may refer to your friend’s tendency to disagree with every plan you make, but can also take the meaning “marked by disputation (verbal controversy)” or “provoking debate.” Disputatious (and dispute) comes from the Latin disputare, which simply means “to discuss.”

Must have been something rank to have caused Clancy and Johnny to get into a dispute with his umps. They’re not of the disputatious sort.
— Winston-Salem Journal (Winston-Salem, NC), 20 Jun. 1911


cranky disagreeable words cantankerous
Cantankerous
Definition - difficult or irritating to deal with

Cantankerous may sound like one of the many fine 19th-century Americanisms (such as snollygoster, hornswoggle and jimberjawed, but it is not. We’re not sure of the origins of cantankerous, but we do know that it has been in use since at least the 18th century, and early evidence suggests that it was in use in the United Kingdom prior to America.

The farmers were gathered together with the small shopkeepers at a public meeting, and every farmer in the parish, except one little cantankerous fellow—for such there always would be—agreed to pay their labourers upon the Friday evening. (Cheers.)
— Proceedings of the public meeting on behalf of the shopkeepers’ assistants, 1841


cranky disagreeable words agonistic
Agonistic
Definition - argumentative

Agonistic may be traced back to the Greek word ag;nist;;s, meaning ”one engaged in a contest or struggle.” This origin may be seen in the earliest English sense of the word, which is “of or relating to the athletic contests of ancient Greece.” Along the way the word has taken on additional meanings, including the aforementioned “argumentative,” “striving for effect,” and “of, relating to, or being aggressive or defensive social interaction (such as fighting, fleeing, or submitting) between individuals usually of the same species.”

Wherefore, to render our Discourse the lesse offensive, we have cast it into a thetic and dogmatic Method, rather than  agonistic and polemic.
— Theophilus Gale, The court of the gentiles, 1678


cranky disagreeable words captious
Captious
Definition - marked by an often ill-natured inclination to stress faults and raise objections

Captious shares a root with accept, forceps, and nuncupate; all may be traced in part to the Latin word capere (“to take”). Capere gave rise to captio, which in Latin means “deception” or “verbal quibble,” which makes sense when considering that one of the other meanings of captious is “calculated to confuse, entrap, or entangle in argument.”

 But you, captious Lawyers, you are so precise, so curious in the quercks and quidities of law, & to follow the formalitie of it, in stead of interpreting the true sense, that forsooth according to the form of proceeding, she should be called to iudgment within the countie of Staffordshire, there to appeare holding vp her hand at the Barre, to stand to the verdict of twelue men, vpon her fact.
— William Camden, Annales the true and royall history of the famous empresse Elizabeth Queene of England France and Ireland, 1625


cranky disagreeable words eristic
Eristic
Definition - characterized by disputatious and often subtle and specious reasoning

In addition to serving as an adjective for the rhetorical method employed by your least-favorite uncle at Thanksgiving, eristic is also a noun, meaning either “a person devoted to logical disputation” or “the art or practice of disputation and polemics.” The word came into English in the early 17th century, and is from the Greek eristikos, “fond of wrangling.”

And here and euery where throughout this Eristic Libell of yours, doe what you can to stirre vp the one against the other, and set them by the eares together: for what language is this of yours?
— William Cowper, The Bishop of Galloway, 1616


cranky disagreeable words peevish
Peevish
Definition - marked by ill temper

Peevish comes from the slightly shorter Middle English word pevish (“spiteful”). Its first meaning, beginning in the 15th century, was “querulous in temperament or mood” (querulous meaning “habitually complaining”). In addition to this and the “ill-tempered” sense, peevish can also mean “perversely obstinate.”

Mr. Thomas Sheridan supported the character of a Peevish Old Man, afflicted with the gout.
— The Morning Post (London, Eng.), 6 Jul. 1805


cranky disagreeable words choplogic
Choplogic
Definition -  given to complex often erroneous and absurd argumentation

Choplogic may look like it comes from describing someone who likes to cut or sever (common meanings of chop) your logic, but the initial portion of the word comes from an obsolete meaning of chop, which is “to exchange, trade” (this comes from the Middle English choppen, “to barter”). Choplogic may also refer to “involved and often specious argumentation” or “an absurdly argumentative person.”

But that’s a way that miserable Jones has. A sort of chop logic talk that I hate.
— Fun (London, Eng.), 31 Oct. 1888


cranky disagreeable words contradictious
Contradictious
Definition -  inclined to contradict or cavil

Contradictious is a useful word for those occasions when you want to accuse someone of being contradictory or contrary, but you don’t want them to know what you mean. We are not at all certain when such an occasion might occur, but when it does we would like you to be prepared for it.

How lovingly dost thou stretch them out to an incredulous and contradictious people, and none do take any compassion vppon thee?
— C.N., Our Ladie hath a new sonne, 1595


cranky disagreeable words hangry
Hangry
Definition - irritable or angry because of hunger

Of all words on this list which are roughly synonymous in some way with “disagreeable,” hangry is probably the newest. It is not, however, the brainchild of some language-averse millennials; hangry has been in use for well over 60 years now.

More complicated samples: slabor for slave labor , meduction for medical education, nissen for nicht wissen, hangry for hungry and angry, crimax for crime and climax, criumph for crime triumphing; some of these are quite admirable.
— American Imago; a Psychoanalytic Journal for the Arts and Sciences (Detroit, MI), Winter 1956


cranky disagreeable words stomachful
Stomachful
Definition - resentful, angry

The stomach contains not only food and whatever other half-chewed things you’ve swallowed; it contains contradictions as well. For while we say that someone is stomachful is they are resentful or angry, we also use the word stomach as a verb to mean “to bear without overt reaction or resentment.” But the verb can also mean “to take offense at,” and stomachful can also mean “obstinate,” or “courageous.” As recompense for giving you such a confusing word, here’s something that is not confusing about stomach: it comes from the Greek word stoma, meaning “mouth” … well, that’s maybe a little bit confusing.

Indeede, if wee liue in presumptuous sinnes, and bee proud and  stomackfull, and will not stoupe vnder Gods hand, then Gods greatest kindnesse is to scourge vs, vntill hee bring vs home to himselfe.
— John Dod, Two Sermons, 1608


cranky disagreeable words fumish
Fumish
Definition - tending to fume, choleric

The earliest uses of fume in English tend to be related to the word’s origins; it comes from the Latin fumus, meaning “smoke.” By the early 16th century, however, fume was being used as a figurative verb, with the meaning of “to be in a state of excited irritation or anger.” At the same time we began to use fumish to mean both “smoky” (actual smoke) and “tending to fume” (in a figurative manner).

To blame therefore are those dogs, which make no bones in tearing Gods name, who cast vp their children to God, as though he were their vnderling, as an angry and  fumish master giues his seruant a buffet with his fist.
— Peter Barker, A judicious and painefull exposition vpon the ten Commandements, 1624


cranky disagreeable words choleric
Choleric
Definition - easily moved to often unreasonable or excessive anger : hot-tempered

Long ago there was a belief that human health and temperament were governed by a proper balance between the four humors contained in one’s body. These mysterious substances were identified as phlegm, black bile, yellow bile, and blood. Although the belief in the effects of humors has largely faded, each of these liquids has given rise to words associated with them, such as phlegmatic, bilious, and sanguine. Choler was another term for yellow bile, and has given us choleric.

…a lover builds his hopes on a maiden, and some more fortunate swain cuts him out,—a passenger embarks on a boat with the promise of going immediately, and don’t get off for two days—or when some choleric little man undertakes to whip another, and gets thrashed himself.
— The Vermont Patriot (Montpelier, VT), 6 Aug. 1846


cranky disagreeable words
Cranky
Definition - readily angered when opposed

When cranky loses its final Y, and is applied to a person it may mean either “an annoyingly eccentric person” or “a bad-tempered person.” Both of these senses made the transition to adjectivehood, as cranky may mean both “crochety” and “marked by eccentricity.” Cranky may also mean “full of twists and turns,” “working erratically,” or “silly,” but most of the time we use it to refer to our grumpy downstairs neighbor.

”What the dickens has his cranky mood got to do with me,” said the special, “I wanted to see the captain.”
— The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, NY), 14 Aug. 1877


cranky disagreeable words splenetic
Splenetic
Definition - marked by bad temper, malevolence, or spite

Splenetic comes from the Late Latin word spleneticus, which sounds like the name of Spartacus’s grumpy younger brother, and itself comes from the Latin splen, meaning “spleen.” Similar to choleric, splenetic has roots in the theory of bodily humors, as the spleen was thought to secrete the black bile that was one of these four substances. This organ supposedly governed such feelings as melancholy (“given to melancholy” is an obsolete meaning of splenetic) and irascibility.

I was never so splenetique, when I was most dumpish, but I could smile at a friseiest, when the good man would be pleasurable; and laugh at fustion earnest, when the merry man would be surly.
— Gabriel Harvey, A new prayse of the old asse, 1593


cranky disagreeable words shirty
Shirty
Definition - angry, irritated

We qualify shirty as “chiefly British,” which means that you can use it outside of the United Kingdom, but it will probably sound like you’re trying to pass yourself off as someone who spent a semester or two in London. The word is thought to have come from shirt, a word which has itself to a wide variety of idioms, including keep your shirt on, and lose one’s shirt.

 The tone of his attack was a mistake. He may think it was robust. To me it sounded shirty.
— Malachi O’Doherty, Belfast Telegraph, 10 Dec. 2001


cranky disagreeable words narky
Narky
Definition - (British) marked by ill temper and irritability

If a single truculent and distinctively British adjective for irritability is not enough to make you feel at ease in the world, fear not, for the British variety of English has more than one short way of describing having a bad temper. In addition to shirty we have narky. This word comes from the verb nark, meaning “to irritate or annoy.” The annoying nark is of unknown etymology.

The excuse defendant gave for his conduct was that complainant had been “narky on him.”
— Birmingham Daily Post (Birmingham, Eng.), 19 Apr. 1895


cranky disagreeable words irascible
Irascible
Definition - marked by hot temper and easily provoked anger

Irascible appears to have the same negative prefix as is found attached to many other words which initially began with an R, such as irreducible, irredeemable, and irrespective. However, the initial portion of irascible is not a negative prefix, but instead shows its roots in the Latin word for “anger,” which is ira.

 She therefore contented herself with being more than usually peevish and irascible to her servants and children; and talking to her friends of the prodigious sacrifice she was about to make for her brother and his family, as if it had been the cutting off of a hand, or the plucking out of an eye.
— Susan Ferrier, Marriage, 1818


cranky disagreeable words surly
Surly
Definition -  irritably sullen and churlish in mood or manner

Many of the words on this list began their lives with a meaning that had little to do with grouchiness, but few of them have changed quite as much as surly. Among this word’s earliest uses, in the 16th century, were “lordly” and “majestic.” These senses came from the Middle English serreli  (“lordly, imperious”). Along the way surly also came to mean “arrogant, imperious,” and following this took on the sense of “churlish” in which it is commonly employed today.

Don’t mix your liquor, boys,
But always take it neat;
He’s a surly, churlish fellow,
Who wouldn’t stand a treat.
— Sunbury American (Sunbury, PA), 7 Jul. 1855


cranky disagreeable words ornery
Ornery
Definition - irritable

Readers who are familiar with one of the more common senses of ornery ("irritable") might well be surprised to learn that the word is an alteration of the word ordinary, as this root word has little to do with feelings of peevishness. Yet this is the case, and there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for how this meaning came about. The English-speaking people have been writing ordinary in abbreviated fashion since the early 16th century; we have citations of it written as ornary from 1534 onward. Ornary and similar variants persist for the next few centuries, and in the 19th century the word begins to feel a bit like an insult. By the middle of the 19th century ornery is being used to mean “cantankerous” rather than “ordinary, plain,” and by the 20th century appeared to have largely severed its connection with the word that birthed it.

Old Nance went, the lines slipped off the dash board, and “old Joe” sat there till broad day light, occasionally giving the dash board a lick, and swearing that “some ornery cuss had been stretching the road as he had been driving like h——l all night, and didn’t see as he was any nearer home than when he started!
— The Holmes County Republican (Millersburg, OH), 8 Oct. 1857


hunks
Curmudgeon
Surly but sweet: See 7 Cute Words for Curmudgeons


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8 Significant Words for 'Insignificant'
A list that is anything but trivial
plate-with-little-pieces-of-food
Nugatory
adjective 1 : of little or no consequence : trifling, inconsequential 2 : having no force : inoperative

In Latin, nugae are trifles—that is, things of little value, substance, or importance. In English, such things can be described as nugatory, as in "I'm not going to concern myself with such nugatory matters as obscure words from extinct languages."

Whatever its origin, nugatory has, we think, a pleasantly dismissive sound to it. And if you like the adjective, we have some nouns for you to consider as well: nugacity, which refers to something frivolous or trivial, or to triviality itself; and the obsolete (but otherwise perfectly good) nugation, meaning "the act or an instance of trifling." (Trifling is, of course, treating or dealing with someone or something in a way that shows a lack of respect or seriousness.)


woman-arguing
Pettifogger
noun : one given to quibbling over trifles

Do you know someone who quibbles over trifles? Who raises trivial points to argue about unimportant things? If so, you are acquainted with one who can rightly be called a pettifogger. The word was originally two: pettie and fogger, with pettie being a variant spelling of petty, a word that ably describes the small-minded; and fogger being … somewhat opaque. The word may come from Fugger, the name of a successful family of 15th- and 16th-century German merchants and financiers. The Fuggers were not beloved by all, and Germanic variations on their name have historically described those who are wealthy, greedy, and pushy, making their name a reasonable (though still speculative) suspect for the pettifogger etymology.

And in case you were wondering, yes, a pettifogger does pettifog. That verb is defined as "to engage in legal chicanery," "to quibble over insignificant details," and "to plead (something, such as a case) with legal chicanery."


broken-fiddle
Fiddling
adjective : trifling, petty

The skill required to play the fiddle was, it seems, not held in high regard when fiddling was first used to describe what matters little—as in "a fiddling excuse"—in the mid-17th century. In fact, by that same time, the verb fiddle had expanded from its original straightforward musical use to develop less laudable meanings ranging from "to spend time in aimless or fruitless activity" to "to cheat or swindle."


a-few-paperclips
Trivial
adjective : of little worth or importance

Trivial comes from the Latin word trivialis, meaning "found everywhere; commonplace," but its origin is in the stuff of maps and Robert Johnson legends: trivialis comes from trivium, meaning "crossroads"—from tri- and via, meaning "way." What was seen at the crossroads of trivialis was common enough to be encountered anywhere. In the late 16th century, that word's English descendant, trivial, was used to mean "commonplace, ordinary."


person-at-end-of-pier
Ablach
noun : an insignificant person

While we do not accede to the assertion that any person is in truth insignificant, the word ablach is (in Scottish English, anyway) used to refer to a person one has deemed so. The Scots have been using this word thusly since the late 19th century. The word comes from Scottish Gaelic, in which language it means, um, "mangled carcass" or "brat." Use with caution (perhaps only in fiction?).


school of fish photo
Small-fry
adjective : minor, unimportant

While small-fry has described people and affairs deemed by the describer to be unworthy of attention since the early 19th century, it had been functioning (mostly without a hyphen) as a noun for centuries before then. Small fry in the late 16th century referred to recently hatched or juvenile fish (the term was redundant, since fry already referred to the same), and by the middle of the 17th century, the word had developed meanings of "a child" and "someone or something considered insignificant or minor."

The small fry we refer to here is not to be confused with the small fry that refers to a portion of french fries that is difficult to share.


butcher-shop
Chopped liver
noun : one that is insignificant or not worth considering

Literally, chopped liver refers to animal liver (especially from a calf or chicken) that is chopped and cooked (or cooked and chopped) and eaten as food. But since the middle of the 20th century, the term chopped liver has also featured in rhetorical questions like "What am I, chopped liver?"—usually posed in reaction to the suggestion by another that a third person or thing is particularly appealing.


boy-with-megaphone
Dandiprat
noun : a contemptible or insignificant person

We don't know why British people starting referring to those they found despicable or otherwise wanting in some regard with the term dandiprat in the 16th century, but they did. The use is now archaic but that doesn't mean it's unavailable for modern speakers. If someone is truly behaving badly, throwing the word at them might just be just the thing. It should also be noted that dandiprat also refers to a small English silver coin no longer in use. The origin of the term is unknown.


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Some Notes On 'Asshat'
A serious look at where it came from
One of the difficulties in the creation and upkeep of a dictionary is the issue of how to treat nonstandard language. English is constantly being refreshed with new slang words, some of which quickly wither and disappear, while others assimilate into the language and become standardized (our 1916 Collegiate listed awful, jinx, and measly as slang). Should the lexicographer enter every new slang term that comes along the dictionary would quickly become overloaded with words which have little current applicability; if too long passes before entering some of these words the dictionary is obsolete before it is published.

The compromise is to enter words after they have demonstrated a certain breadth and consistency of use, typically in printed form. A fine example of the kind of word that merits inclusion is asshat (“a stupid, annoying, or detestable person”), a word recently added to our dictionary. It occupies the space between assez and asshead.

alt 5b6dd22d0e5c4
It's traveled pretty far into the language in just a short amount of time.

Asshat is a new addition to the English language. Recent research has found evidence of use from the late 1990s, in Usenet groups. (Note: the first citation below may be a pun on the misspelling of musical group Hatebreed)

who are hatbreed? maybe it's part of that ass hat crew selena hangs out with
— alt.music.hardcore, 14 Apr. 1998

1977 CHiPs 3 3/4" action figures (5 different: Ponch, Jon, Sarge, Jimmy;Squeaks, Stupid F***ing Asshat Erik Mouse, and Wheels Willie) $10-15 each
— _alt.fan.erik_, 23 Jul. 1999

The use of this word has, over the past two decades, spread considerably, and it may now be found even among the most urbane and sophisticated speakers of English; the following citation is taken from a recent interview with the editor in chief of The American Heritage Dictionary:

In the case of pronoun usage, it really comes down to: Are you being a nice person or an asshat?”
— Steve Kleinedler (interviewed by Sarah Grey), Conscious Style Guide (consciousstyleguide.com), “Conscious Language in the American Heritage Dictionary,” 22 Feb. 2018

As asshat steadied itself and found its legs, it took on a slightly elongated form: asshattery (extremely provisional definition: “the condition and practices of an asshat”). This word appears to have begun being used in the early 2000s, initially only in online writing. It also may now be found in a wide range of locations, linguistic registers, and media.

I really like the twins now, especially since they've been > so gracious in the face of the "Alliance"'s asshattery.
— alt.tv.amazing-race, 18 Oct. 2002

Don’t be that guy: Ass-hattery knows no party
— (headline) Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, AZ), 15 Oct. 2017

Preceding Friday’s filibustering asshattery were the endless votes on the Lords amendments to the EU withdrawal bill.
— Jess Phillips, The Observer (London, Eng.), 16 Jun. 2018

For some time I have truly, passionately and intensely believed that Scott and Kourtney were in love, because whenever Scott came in from some screeching, gold-plated, Gordon Gekko asshattery, Kourtney furiously said nothing.
— Camilla Long, The Sunday Times, (London, Eng.), 19 Jul. 2015

Asshead, in stark contrast to asshat, has a long history in our language; our records show continual appearances since at least 1541, when Thomas Becon made the first of what was to be numerous uses of the word.

They thynke it a hundreth yeare, yf he preachethe but halfe an houre, so litle pleasure haue these asse heades in hearynge the gloryous & blessed word of god.
— Thomas Becon, Newes Out of Heauen both Pleasaunt and Joyfull, 1541

If we have been calling people assheads for almost 500 years now, why did it take so long for ass and hat to get together in similarly pejorative fashion? One reason may be that while ass lends itself well to the beginning of an opprobrious compound, hat leaves something to be desired in terms of mordant wit (the etymological note we have describes the linking of ass and hat as “seemingly nonsensical”).

It should be noted that, in addition to gracing the initial portion of many compounds, ass can also function as an infix (inserted within a word, or linking two words, typically as an intensifier, such as ‘grown-ass man’) or as a suffix (badass). These functions are thought to have originated with African American vernacular in the mid-20th century, and are distinct from the role of ass in asshat and asshattery.

This is disputed by Van Peebles, who is evidently willing to try his luck in this type of black enterprise. He has underwritten the cost of his upcoming film “Sweetback’s Bad Ass Song,” made by a crew which is 50 per cent black and Puerto Rican.
— Los Angeles Sentinel, 6 Aug. 1970

Watch yourself, man. Here comes them two would-be-bad-ass brothers.
— Sonora McKeller, The Antioch Review, Fall 1967

Asshat may not be the first word you draw from your quiver when seeking to adequately describe someone for whom you feel some measure of distaste. It’s fine by us if you choose not to use the word, but given its status in our language we would be remiss in our duties if we failed to provide it with a definition.

A final note: careful writers would do well to take care with the correct use of the hyphen and spacing when employing the suffix form of -ass. There is a profound difference between being in possession of a “sweet-ass hat” and a “sweet asshat”; failure to observe these conventions of punctuation may result in significant confusion on the part of your readers.

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10 Words for Other People's Children
On spoiled brats, ankle biters, and other holy terrors
words for other peoples kids enfant terrible yelling photo
Enfant Terrible
Definition - a child whose inopportune remarks cause embarrassment

The first thing you should know about enfant terrible is how to pluralize it, since these beasties often travel in packs: it is enfants terribles. The word has other, non-childish meanings, including “a person known for shocking remarks or outrageous behavior,” and “a usually young and successful person who is strikingly unorthodox, innovative, or avant-garde.” These came about in the early 20th century; the oldest sense (your brother/sister’s spawn) dates back to the middle of the 19th century. Enfant terrible was taken directly from the French, in which language the literal meaning is “terrifying child.”

Soon after, a lawyer approaches her parents Gomez (Oscar Isaac) and Morticia (Charlize Theron) for a sample of Wednesday's DNA. The advocate claims the enfant terrible was switched in the maternity ward with another child.
— Damon Smith, Lincolnshire Echo (Lincoln, Eng.), 14 Oct. 2021


words for other peoples kids killcrop girl with fork and knife
Brat
Definition - an ill-mannered annoying child

There are a number of different brats in the English language: a sausage, a child, an article of clothing (such as a cloak), and several others besides. The “annoying child” sense is thought to be related to the “article of clothing” sense, while the “sausage” meaning (a shortening of bratwurst is distinct from these. Should you have need of specifically referring to a small annoying child, the word bratling is defined as “a little brat.”

Low-cost airline Ryanair's March 31 press release that promised to introduce "child free" flights from October 2011 was presumed to be an April Fool's joke, although it gained traction online. One comment on USA Today's website read, "All airlines should offer child-free flights. If you have ever flown for six hours with some brat kicking the back of your seat the whole way, then you would agree.”
— -Asia News Monitor_ (Bangkok, Th.), 4 Apr. 2023


other peoples kids mammothrept spoiled kid
Mammothrept
Definition - a spoiled child

This useful word comes from the Greek mammothreptos (“child brought up by his grandmother”). In spite of the ubiquity of spoiled children this word never really caught on, with few instances of use outside of the 17th century.

”You impudent mammothrept,” she cried. Disabled but with exposure No. 1 in his possession the photographer retreated, not knowing what he had been called, but fearing the worst.
— Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 1916

MORE: 22 Charming Words for Nasty People


words for other peoples kids holy terror photo
Holy Terror
Definition - a child who behaves very badly

The words holy and terror have certainly been used in conjunction with each other many times over the centuries, thanks to various ecclesiastical conflagrations. However, we’ve not included any of these uses in the dictionary, as they tended to not be fixed phrases, but instead are just instances of someone using the one word to modify the other. The Inquisition and the Crusades may have failed to combine these words to significant enough degree that they merit a dictionary entry, but spoiled children have succeeded in this regard.

It's a messy film, which doesn't help Repeta's performance. The script wants him to be a holy terror one moment, a budding artist the next, sensitive and unselfconscious and sometimes unaware that he's being a monumental jerk. It's a tall order for anyone, and the young actor does the best he can with it.
— Chris Knight, National Post (Toronto, Can.), 4 Nov. 2022


words for other peoples kids ankle biter little babies
Ankle Biter
Definition - a young child

Ankle biter frequently refers to a child, but also carries the meaning of “a small, aggressive dog.” The “child” meaning is older, dating in use back to the first half of the 19th century; the “dog” sense doesn’t come up for another hundred years or so.

Travel is always a game of hurry up and wait, particularly when flying. This means you, your ankle-biters, sullen teens, cranky parents, enthusiastic spouses, and any other humans you're traveling with will be bored after about five minutes of looking at overpriced cans of Pringles and bottles of designer perfume at duty-free.
— Boston Globe, 26 Feb. 2023


words for other peoples kids whelp baby and dog
Whelp
Dictionary - a young boy or girl

At first glance whelp appears to be a somewhat more generous description of a child than some of the others on this list, and there is nothing overtly critical in its definition. However, it is one of those words (such as spawn) which, while they may accurately refer to a person’s offspring, will not be welcomed by most of the parents you meet at a playground, should you apply them to their children. Before it was used to refer to human children, whelp meant “any of the young of various carnivorous mammals and especially of the dog” (and still has this meaning), and also functions as a verb, with meanings such as “to bring forth young“ and “to give birth to — used of various carnivores and especially the dog.”

My nearest brother actually was eight years older than me and had set a perfect example of how to "build character" in a young whelp. It's amazing what a kid will put up with to run with the big dogs.
— John C. Lorson, Daily Record (Wooster, OH), 25 Oct. 2015


words for other peoples kids jd juvenile delinquent huck finn
JD
Definition - juvenile delinquent

JD (which can also mean “justice department,” or refer to a doctor of law degree) is an abbreviation of juvenile delinquent. The longer form has been in use since the early 19th century; the abbreviation does not become common until the 20th.

Upon which a further scrutiny took place, and it appeared that the juvenile delinquent some time ago had actually stabbed one of his play fellows for as trifling a cause, with a pen knife.
— The Morning Post (London, Eng.), 15 Oct. 1803

”If we had a center we could eliminate a lot of JDs running around the street,” Ferraro said. “Children would have a place to meet and wholesome activities in which to participate.”
— The Jersey Journal (Jersey City, NJ), 15 Sept. 1959


odd little boy sticking his tongue out at the camera
Hellion
Definition - a troublesome or mischievous person

Strictly speaking, a hellion does not have to be a young person, although you are unlikely to find anyone described as an old hellion. The word is probably an alteration (influenced by the word hell) of hallion (which is another word for scamp or an impish or playful young person).

An unconventional heroine with an effervescent approach to life and a worthy hero work to keep their feelings at bay in a story enhanced by two young hellions and an especially spiteful villain.
— Kristin Ramsdell, Library Journal, Feb. 2019


words for other peoples kids killcrop baby eating cake
Killcrop
Definition - a voracious infant

Killcrop came into English in the 17th century, from the Low German k;lkrop, and for most of its time in our language has not been used to simply describe a hungry baby. The killcrop was thought to be a fairy changeling, a small demon substituted for a real baby, which would eat endlessly.

It is on record that, being once called in to see a little weazened child with an enormous appetite, that was never the fatter for all its food, he declared it had a devil—was, in fact, that sort of thing called, in Germany, a kill-crop.
— The Daily Kansas Tribune (Lawrence, KS), 7 Mar. 1869


evil looking girl cuts her brothers hair
Bad seed
Definition - a person who is dishonest, evil, or unprincipled by nature : an innately bad person

Bad seed is another word that does have to be used in reference to a young person; after all, our definition simply informs that an innately bad person. However, bad seed was popularized after it was used as the title of a book by William March in 1954 (later made into a play and also a movie); in these uses it refers to an eight-year old girl who it utterly devoid of scruples or conscience.

If we can forgive a fox for telling a lie, what about a chickadee for breaking and entering? This is the alleged crime at the heart of Monica Silvies Chickadee: Criminal Mastermind. The perpetrator in question, a tiny black-capped bird (I wear a mask), is a bad seed. Or so he thinks.
— Jon Agee, The New York Times Book Review, 17 Jul. 2022