British Slang Insults (40 Examples!)

Insults are, for better or worse, often the bedrock of national slang.

They are among the oldest terms in any language, and this is certainly true of British English.

The British have developed a beautifully diverse and varied tapestry of insults, varying from the mildest that you could throw around in any situation as a joke to the most serious and hurtful things you would only say to the absolute worst person.

Today, we’re going to look at a wide selection of these terms to best arm you with all the insults you might–or, hopefully will not!–need.

Let’s jump into it.

British Slang Insults

Nitwit 

Starting off with a somewhat mild one, first we have “nitwit”.

This is a common slang insult used in Britain to call someone stupid, and is one you can certainly use jokingly as an insult to a friend.

That said, as with any insult, it does remain an insult, so you want to be careful who you go around calling a nitwit!

This is not as commonly used today as it once was, but it’s far from falling out of use.

Though commonly used in Britain today, it was first recorded in American English in 1914.

It is probably derived from “nit” meaning nothing, as in “no wits”.

Tosser

Next we have “tosser”, a common insult that is certainly a lot less mild than the one above.

If you call someone a tosser then this is generally a pretty serious insult, though it’s nothing extreme.

A tosser is an objectionable or obnoxious person, someone you don’t like for one reason or another.

They may be annoying or arrogant, or just in general unpleasant to be around.

Though it is only recorded as an insult in this way by 1977, it is based on a much older term meaning to masturbate.

To “toss off” meant to masturbate, so to be a tosser was an insult based on this.

Wanker

A similar insult in British slang is “wanker”.

This is likely the more common term, and again one that is not at all unclear in its harshness.

If you call someone a wanker, this means they are again obnoxious, unpleasant or otherwise not the kind of person you want to be around.

As with virtually any insult it can also be used as a joke with friends, but again just watch it as this is one of the most common insults British people use.

The term is first recorded in the 1940s and is, again, based on a verb that means to masturbate: “wank”.

A wanker, then, is literally someone who masturbates though it is of course not used in this way.

Bastard

A classic insult of the entire English speaking world, it is particularly important to British slang.

This is an extremely old term but one which has by no means lost its popularity over time.

It is as effective as it ever was in Britain, and can be used in a variety of ways–though it is always an insult.

It can be used for someone who has offended you or slighted you, someone you just don’t like, someone obnoxious or cruel, or just about anything that might make you dislike a person.

This is naturally a very old term, and its literal meaning is an illegitimate child, which is what it first meant in the 13th Century.

This was borrowed from an identical French term, meaning the unacknowledged child of a nobleman.

C*nt

Most will probably agree that “c*nt” is just about the worst thing you can call someone in English.

It’s not necessarily that the word itself implies anything especially bad–it’s just the cultural and social connotations of calling someone this word.

At the same time, though, it’s not as if people always reserve it for the worst situations–many use it freely and with abandon.

That said, you can generally rest assured that anyone called a c*nt by someone is deeply, deeply disliked by them.

The literal meaning of the term is the female genitalia, and has been in use since at least the early 18th Century in its modern form.

The word goes back much further, though, as we find cunte in Middle English of the 14th Century.

Prick

Next we have “prick”, a less cutting but nonetheless strong insult used commonly in Britain.

A prick is generally an irritating and objectionable person, though it is also often used as an insult just if a stranger does something annoying such as cutting you off on the road or bumping into you in the street without apologizing.

This is very common and used more or less throughout Britain.

This one is a bit more recent, having been first recorded as an insult against men in 1929.

This was in turn based on the fact that it had been a term for the male genitalia, deriving ultimately from the Middle English prikke.

Knob

“Knob” is another very common slang insult in Britain.

Again, it’s not quite as intense in its connotations and one that is very often used playfully.

At the same time, it can easily be a proper and offensive insult, too, that you would use for someone who has annoyed, insulted, or offended you in some way.

It is sometimes alternatively spelled “nob”.

This is another one that literally means the male genitalia.

It first appears as knobe in the 14th Century, probably deriving from a Scandiavian source.

At first, though, it meant something like a door-knob, rather than an insult–though it is still also used in this way.

Knobhead

A common variant of “knob” is “knobhead”.

This is largely used in the same way as knob–it’s not the most intense insult in the world but it’s also not exactly a nice thing to call someone either.

Still, though, it is very often used playfully.

Like many British insults, the idea is simply that you have male genitalia on your head.

Dick

Following on from that, then, next we have “dick”.

This is a universal insult in British slang and one you’re likely to hear just about anywhere from a person of any age.

It’s less playful than “knob”, and something that is not typically used in jest.

It’s a quick and sharp insult that’s not to be taken lightly, and at the same time it does imply an extent to which the person is not giving you a second thought.

This is, yet again, a term that means genitalia–male genitalia.

It’s very old in one form or another, though it is first attested as having this meaning in 1891.

Before that, it was used as a term of endearment between male friends.

Dickhead

Again, just as with “knob”, dick has a -head” variant.

Again, this is among the most common general insults for an obnoxious person in British English, used for just about any situation.

Wherever you are in Britain it’s a good chance the majority of people around you will know and use this term.

It can again be very playful, and it can just be something you use when your friend is being stupid.

Weapon

Next we have “weapon,” which is a much more specific insult used in Britain.

This is most often used as an insult meaning someone is ugly.

It could be a man or a woman though it is perhaps most often used of women rather than of men.

It’s not really playful at all and is really only used either behind someone’s back or with the express intent of hurting their feelings–-so you don’t want to use this one whenever!

It’s not clear where this term comes from, though it’s widely believed it is derived from the older sense of a weapon being a stupid person since they are like a tool rather than a thinking person.

Twit

Next we have “twit”, a common slang term meaning an idiot in British English.

This one is very mild, and while you still don’t want to go around calling people twits, it’s hardly the worst thing you could call them.

That said, it does still imply someone is stupid, so it is still certainly used as an actual, cutting insult.

It’s mostly restricted to the older generations now and may not survive for much longer.

It was first recorded in 1934, and could have a couple of origins.

It probably derived from the older, verb form twit which meant to reproach, though it could also be related to “nitwit”.

Twat

Similar morphologically to “twit” but entirely different semantically, next we have “twat”.

This is a term again typically used in no unclear terms.

If you call someone a twat, you are saying you dislike them, they’re obnoxious and unpleasant, and you don’t want to be around them.

You don’t want to get this one and “twit” mixed up as they have very different meanings and one is a whole lot more offensive than the other!

Again, this one is a word for genitalia, the female this time. It has been a general term of abuse since the 1920s.

Ninny

Next we have “ninny”, one which you can probably guess is not quite as harsh and cutting as some of the other terms so far.

A ninny is someone who is stupid and irritating, perhaps boorish, uncouth and idiotic.

It’s obviously still not a very nice thing to call someone and you want to be careful with how you use it, but at the same time it is generally not considered to be profanity.

The term is quite old, first being recorded in the 1590s and having largely the same sense of a fool or simpleton.

It was perhaps a misdivision of the word innocent, as in the innocence of a stupid person.

Slag

One of the most common insults leveled against women in Britain is “slag”.

This has very specific connotations and means a woman who is overly promiscuous and has many sexual partners.

At the same time, it can just be used as a general insult against women whether or not they are actually all that promiscuous–though that remains what it implies.

It’s not clear where exactly this sense of the term comes from, though it’s widely assumed it relates to the word slag in the sense of metal refuse from smelting–the worthless metal you can’t use.

Tart

Another similar term is “tart”, having essentially the same meaning–a promiscuous woman who flaunts her sexuality.

Both of these terms are naturally mired in historic sexism and misogyny, so even in the most playful situations I wouldn’t go around using this one.

Tart is perhaps a bit more regional, being more common in the north, and less common among young people today–though this isn’t a hard and fast rule.

This term was first recorded in 1887, and actually arose out of an earlier term of endearment for a girl.

It is said to have been a shortening of “sweetheart”.

Thick

If you want to call someone stupid in British slang, then “thick” is probably the single most common word for doing so.

Everyone in Britain uses or knows this slang term for a stupid person.

It can of course be playful as many such slang terms can be, but at the same time it definitely also carries outright insulting connotations–so it goes both ways.

It’s used among all demographics and regional dialects.

It’s thought to have originally meant that someone had a thick skull, meaning a small brain.

Dense

A similar and almost as widely used insult to mean stupid is “dense”.

In terms of its usage it is largely the same as “thick”.

It carries more or less the same connotations and means the same things.

It also has the same impact, so you could potentially use it playfully among friends but you want to be careful outside of very familiar circles.

This one tends to be more common among the older generations though the young do use it as well.

Again, the sense is simply that someone has a “dense” skull if they are stupid.

This insult came into use in the 19th Century.

Slow

Another similar slang term, though admittedly a bit dated now, is “slow”.

This has the same sense of someone who is stupid, slow on the uptake and in understanding things.

Again, historically speaking the connotations are quite problematic as it was originally a term used for those with mental disabilities and handicaps.

If I were you, I would avoid using this one, but it’s certainly worth being aware of.

Scruff

Next we have “scruff,” a very common British slang term meaning a dirty or unkempt person.

There are many situations in which you might use this, as it doesn’t have to apply to someone who is unclean all the time–rather just to someone who is dirty in a given moment, say if they did something gross or disgusting.

It’s mostly used by younger people and not something you’ll hear older generations say all that often.

Further, it also is much more common in the north of England than anywhere else.

This is quite an old term and is first recorded in this general sense in 1871.

Before that, it was specifically related to being covered either in dandruff or in debris from a manual job such as in a factory.

Minger

“Minger” is a very common slang term used to describe an ugly person.

It’s more common in the north of England than most other places, though you’ll certainly hear it elsewhere, too.

Again, it is more often used for women though it can certainly be used for men too.

It also tends to be something you say about someone, rather than to them.

That said, it certainly can be used in both ways.

“Minging” is a common slang term in British English meaning disgusting, which could be related to the term “minge” meaning female genitalia.

We aren’t entirely sure.

Old bag

Next we have a very specific insult that is generally used for horrible old women.

The kind of stereotypical unkind old lady who is very rude and generally only cares about herself.

Of course this is a stereotype, and again you should be careful with how you use this term as even with a genuinely unpleasant person it can still come off rather misogynistic.

It’s more common among the older generations.

It’s possibly related to the older term “old bat” which referred to an elderly prostitute.

It was first recorded in writing in 1992, so it is not that old.

Muppet

Among the most quintessential, even stereotypical British insults, next we have “muppet”.

If you’re not British and you’ve heard of a single British insult it is most likely this one.

It can have very varied meanings–most often it means someone is being stupid but it can also mean they are just being obnoxious and unpleasant.

It’s more or less universal and used by all age groups and demographics in Britain.

It’s thought to simply be taken from Jim Henson’s Muppet characters, which was itself a conjoining of “marionette” and “puppet”.

It’s been in use in this sense since around the 1990s.

Arse

A nice and simple one, next we have “arse”.

This obviously is just a term that means someone’s backside, but it can also be used as an insult.

It can be used in lots of different ways, though it is perhaps most commonly used in the sense that someone is being obtuse and difficult on purpose.

It is more common among older people today, though the word “arse” in its general sense is used by everyone.

It is naturally a very old term, ultimately deriving from the Old English variant which generally referred to an animal’s backside–by Middle English it had come to mean a person’s bum.

Arsehole

Undoubtedly the more common insult is “arsehole”.

This is a much more general insult that you can use for anyone who is being obnoxious or objectionable in any way shape or form.

It is quite cutting and not the kind of thing that is often used in a playful way.

If you call someone an arsehole, you are throwing down the gauntlet, as it were.

Everyone uses this term, more or less, young and old in all parts of the country.

This is another Middle English term based on an Old English term, so in its modern form we have something like it from around the 15th Century.

Cow

Next we have “cow”, a specific insult typically used against women.

This is an insult meant to denigrate women who are perceived as being obnoxious, ignorant, rude or irritating in one way or another.

Again, it’s somewhat problematic as it has often been used as a weapon of misogyny, so you want to be a bit careful with how you use it.

That said, it’s certainly not quite as bad as some of the other terms we’ve looked at. It’s not much used among younger people today.

It is simply based on the fact that “cows” that we see are often women, though when it started being used is not entirely clear.

Git

“Git” is another common if not quintessential British insult which can have a few subtly different senses.

For the most part, people tend to use this one to mean someone who is very stupid, perhaps even obnoxiously so.

Someone who makes their ignorance and stupidity other people’s problem.

On the other hand, it is very often just used as a general insult for an obnoxious or unlikeable person that you want to be around.

The term was first used in England in the 1940s, and is thought to have been borrowed from the Scottish word “get” which meant an illegitimate child.

Gormless

“Gormless” is an insult used primarily in the north of England which means someone who is very switched off and unaware of what’s going on around them.

It is really only this specific meaning that is used, although it can be both long and short term.

That is to say, you might call someone gormless just on one occasion for something they did, or you might call someone gormless in general.

The term in this form first appears in the 18th Century, though it based on Old Norse root words and so the constituent parts stretch back to the early medieval period.

Cock

Another common slang insult in Britain is simply to call someone a “cock”.

This is perhaps not the most common insult, but it will certainly be perceived as an insult if you call someone a cock!

Again, it just has the general sense of an obnoxious and annoying person, someone that you don’t like and want everyone to know you don’t like.

The term was originally just the name for a male chicken, from the Old English cocc.

This insult, though, relates to the modern sense of male genitalia–once again!

Bell end

“Bell end” is another of the most common and widely used British slang insults today.

It can be both playful and very serious, both intense and more as a throwaway term.

In general, though, a bell end is once again not very specific and just means someone who is obnoxious and unpleasant.

It is mostly used among younger people but is definitely used by every generation to some extent.

Once again, a bell end is the male genitalia–specifically the “end” of it.

Toe rag

“Toe rag” is a slightly more dated term that is mostly used to refer to mischievous and bratty children who are behaving badly.

That said, it can just be used to refer to anyone who is contemptible or worthless.

It doesn’t get used a great among the younger generations today, so eventually, it may fall out of use, but it is still very much in use today.

It arose in the 19th Century to describe a literal rag that you would wrap around your foot in place of a sock.

Thus it came to be associated with poor vagrants.

Shithead

Another common insult in Britain is to call someone a “shithead”.

This is also widely used across the English speaking world.

A shithead is again just an obnoxious or deeply objectionable person, someone you want to avoid and not be around.

It can be used both playfully and more often seriously, and it’s more common among the younger generations today.

Naturally, it is simply a conjoining of shit and head and seems to have originally been an American slang term.

Gobshite

“Gobshite” is a very specific and common insult used in Britain for someone who talks too much and can’t keep their mouth shut.

Usually, this is used in the sense of someone who talks a lot of crap and likes to run their mouth, insulting others and generally being obnoxious in what they say and how they talk.

It’s often used to describe children though it can also certainly be one used against adults and people of any age.

The word is a combination of “gob,” meaning mouth, and “shite”, the British variant of “shit”.

The idea is the person is spewing excrement from their mouth by talking.

Little shit

Next we have “little shit”, a term again most commonly used to insult children and young people though it can certainly be used more generally as an insult against anyone.

Indeed, when used against adults it almost has greater power since it implies they are like a child.

Virtually everyone uses this term to some extent in Britain, though definitely some more than others.

It is not, however, regional to any extent.

Lummox

This next one is quite regional though you are likely to be understood if you use this one no matter where you go.

It is most common in East Anglia, though it has since spread throughout the country in understanding if not in use.

It is used to refer to a clumsy and stupid man, usually, though it can be applied to anyone.

Someone who is prone to accidents and breaking things.

It is first recorded being used in 1825, though the origin is unknown–it may have been from “dumb ox” and influenced by “lumbering”.

Butters

Next, we have “butters”, another common slang term that generally refers to an ugly person.

Again, this is really not a very nice thing to call someone and not something that is often used playfully.

It is pretty widely understood although generally only used with any frequency in the south of England.

Again, it is also much more often used disparagingly of women than of men, though it certainly can be of both.

This was a clipping of the term “butterface”, which meant someone with an ugly face but an attractive body.

Wazzock

A term quite specific to Yorkshire, next we have “wazzock”.

This term generally means a stupid and boorish person, similar to “lummox”.

It can mean an idiot in a more general sense, though it does typically refer to someone who is physically clumsy and stupid.

It’s more limited to the older generations today, and as I say isn’t much used outside of parts of Yorkshire.

That said, it is very widely, perhaps even to an extent intuitively, understood by most people in Britain.

The term first appeared in writing in a novel from 1984, and it is said that the term originally referred to a tool used to fling the king’s feces out of a window–though this is far from clear.  

Sod

Another fairly common and quintessential British slang insult is “sod”.

This can be used in a wide variety of ways and has a few subtly different senses.

In general, though it just means someone who is annoying in some way or another.

You can also say things like “lucky sod” if someone gets too much good fortune in a way it’s not felt they deserve.

It is attested as a term of abuse from 1818, and it is believed to have derived from the term sodomite.

Plonker

Though probably not actually all that commonly used, “plonker” is another British slang insult with which you are no doubt familiar.

It is often used a stereotypical British insult in movies and TV.

It usually means a stupid person and not much more than this–it is typically playful and not something used when a serious insult is needed.

It is thought to derive from the sense of “plonking” someone on the head with something hard to make them stupid.

Cockwomble

FInally, we have “cockwomble”.

There’s not much to say about this one–it’s a rarer insult meant to call someone an obnoxious and unpleasant person.

It’s mainly used among the older generations, and is simply like calling someone a cock with the nonsense word “womble” on the end!

So there you have it.

Whether you really want to get under someone’s skin or you just want to hurl some playful name-calling around, British slang has you covered.

As always, it’s best to make sure you have a full and complete understanding of every insult before you go around using it, as many of them can have multiple meanings which may be genuinely very offensive if used in the wrong context.

More in British Slang

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