List of ethnic slurs


The following is a list of ethnic slurs, ethnophaulisms, or ethnic epithets that are, or have been, used as insinuations or allegations about members of a given ethnic, national, or racial group or to refer to them in a derogatory, pejorative, or otherwise insulting manner.
Some of the terms listed below can be used in casual speech without any intention of causing offense. Others are so offensive that people might respond with physical violence. The connotation of a term and prevalence of its use as a pejorative or neutral descriptor varies over time and by geography.
For the purposes of this list, an ethnic slur is a term designed to insult others on the basis of race, ethnicity, or nationality. Each term is listed followed by its country or region of usage, a definition, and a reference to that term.
Ethnic slurs may also be produced as a racial epithet by combining a general-purpose insult with the name of ethnicity. Common insulting modifiers include "dog", "pig", "dirty" and "filthy"; such terms are not included in this list.

A

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
Abbie, Abe, AbieUnited States, CanadaJewish menOriginated before the 1950s. From the proper name Abraham.
ABCEast AsiaAmerican-born Chinese, Han or other Chinese born and raised in the United States.The term implies an otherness or lack of connection to their Chinese identity and Chinese language; however, it has been reappropriated by many Chinese Americans and used to convey positive connotations.
ABCDSouth Asians in the USAmerican-Born Confused Desi, Indian Americans or other Asian Americans">Asian people">Asian Americans, who were born in the United States.Used chiefly by South Asian immigrants to imply confusion about cultural identity
Abid / Abeed Middle East and North AfricaBlack peopleArabic word for slave
Abo / AbboAustraliaAustralian Aboriginal personOriginally, this was simply an informal term for Aborigine, and was in fact used by Aboriginal people themselves until it started to be considered offensive in the 1950s. Although Abo is still considered quite offensive by many, the pejorative boong is now more commonly used when the intent is deliberately to offend, as that word's status as an insult is unequivocal.
[African engineering|Afro engineering, African engineering or nigger rigging]United StatesAfrican AmericansShoddy, second-rate or unconventional, makeshift workmanship. Indirectly refers to black American people as worse or lower-valued than white American people when associating anything bad with them.
Ah ChahHong KongSouth Asian peopleFrom ; cy=achā; from "acchā" meaning "good" or "OK" in Hindi.
Ali BabaUnited StatesIraqi peopleAn Iraqi suspected of criminal activity.
Alligator bait, 'gator baitUnited States Black people, especially black childrenDates from early 20th century or before; implies that African Americans are good for nothing except being used to bait alligators
AmaLawu, AmaQheyaSouth AfricaKhoisans and Cape Coloureds or ColouredsXhosa words for Hottentot
Amalek, AmalekiteIsraelPalestiniansAmalek were an ancient people, but many Israeli Jews use it as a dehumanizing term to justify the Gaza genocide.
Ang moMalaysia, SingaporeEuropean people, especially the DutchHokkien for "red hair" referring to Dutch people from the 17th century and expanded to encompass other Europeans by the 19th century. It has become a neutral term, though is sometimes seen as derogatory.
AnnUnited States, CanadaWhite women, "white-acting" black womenWhile Miss Ann, also just plain Ann, is a derisive reference to white women, it is also applied to any black woman who is deemed to be acting as though she is white.
Annamite, mitesFrench, EnglishVietnamese people
ApeUnited StatesBlack peopleReferring to outdated theories ascribing cultural differences between racial groups as being linked to their evolutionary distance from chimpanzees, with which humans share common ancestry.
AppleUnited States, CanadaNative AmericansFirst used in the 1970s. Someone who is "red on the outside, white on the inside". Used primarily by other Native Americans to indicate someone who has lost touch with their cultural identity.
Arapis ; feminine: arapissa, arapenaBlack people and ArabsFrom Turkish arap for "Arab" or, colloquially, "dark-skinned-person"
Arabush / Araboosh / Aravush IsraelArabsArabs, derived from Hebrew "Aravi".
Argie / Argies United KingdomArgentine peopleExtensively used by the British soldiers during the Falklands War in 1982.
ArmoUnited StatesArmenian / Armenian AmericanEspecially used in Southern California.
Asing, AsengIndonesiaNon-Indonesian people, especially Chinese peopleInsult to non-Indonesian citizen, from " asing" that rhymed with "Aseng". This word is often directed at Chinese people due to Indonesia's relationship with the PRC.
Ashke-Nazi IsraelAshkenazi JewsPronounced like "AshkeNatzi". Used mostly by Mizrachi Jews.
Aunt Jemima / Aunt Jane / Aunt Mary / Aunt SallyUnited StatesBlack womenA black woman who "kisses up" to whites, a "sellout", female counterpart of Uncle Tom.

B

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
BachichaChileItalian peoplePossibly derived from the Italian word Baciccia, a nickname for Giambattista.
BaianoBrazilNortheastern Brazilian peopleA person born in Bahia, one of the 9 states in the Northeast Region of Brazil. As a slur, it refers generically to any Northeastern person. Used mainly in São Paulo, the term is related to the Northeastern immigration of the second half of the 20th century.
BalijaTurkey, the BalkansBosnian peopleAn ethnic Bosniak or a member of the Bosnian diaspora. Not to be confused with Balija.
BamboulaFranceBlack people
BambusPolandBlack people, sometimes Asian peopleLiterally it means bamboo in Polish but most probably it's derived from a popular children's poem Murzynek Bambo.
BanaanSurinameBlack people, people of African descentDutch: Banana. A slur that is used to refer to black people, people of African heritage. It derives from the colour of a banana's skin, which is yellow or brown, and is therefore seen as an offensive way to describe black and coloured people's skin colour.
BananaUnited States, CanadaEast or Southeast Asian people"Yellow on the outside, white on the inside". Used primarily by East or Southeast Asians for other East- or Southeast Asians or Asian Americans who are perceived as assimilated into mainstream American culture. Similar to Apple.
BanderitePolandUkrainiansThe term Banderite was originally used to refer to the [OUN-B|ultra-nationalist wing of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists], in reference to its leader Stepan Bandera. In Poland, the term "banderowiec" is used in connection with the Eastern Galicia|massacres of Poles in Volhynia by the UPA]. The term became a crucial element of Soviet propaganda and was used as a pejorative description of Ukrainian nationalists, or sometimes western Ukrainians or Ukrainian-speakers. Today the term is used in Russian propaganda to associate Ukrainian politics with Nazism.
BarbarianGreeceNon-Greek peopleSomeone who is perceived to be either uncivilized or primitive. βάρβαρος. In Ancient Greece, the Greeks used the term towards those who did not speak Greek and follow classical Greek customs.
Barya / BareyaEthiopia, EritreaEnslaved sub-Saharan Africans racially considered non-EthiopianThe term Barya originally referred to the Nara people, and through centuries of slave raiding and social stratification it came to mean “slave” in Amharic and related languages.
Beaner / BeaneyUnited StatesHispanic or Latino people, especially MexicansThe term originates from the use of frijoles pintos and other beans that can be generally found in Mexican food or other Hispanic and Latino foods.
BimboGermanAfricans, people with very dark skin in generalThe origin of this term is disputed, but experts suggest that it either derives from the Central African town of Bimbo, or from the former state of Bimbia, which was annexed by the German colony of Kamerun.
Bing / BinghiAustraliaAboriginal Australians"Binghi" was originally an aboriginal word for "brother". Later generalized to all Aboriginal Australians.
Black Buck, black brute, brown buck or brown bruteUnited StatesBlack menOriginating in the post-Reconstruction United States, it was used to describe black men who absolutely refused to bend to the law of white authority and were seen as irredeemably violent, rude, and lecherous.
BlackieEnglishBlack person
BlatteSwedenForeigners with dark skin
BluegumUnited StatesAfrican AmericansAn African American perceived as being lazy and unwilling to work.
Boche France; United States; United KingdomGerman peopleShortened from the French term caboche dure, meaning "hard head" or "cabbage head" with the influence of German surname Bosch.
BoeotianAtheniansBoeotian Greek peopleReferring to the supposed stupidity of the inhabitants of the neighboring Boeotia region of Greece.
Boerehater / Boer-hater / Boer haterSouth Africa; United KingdomBritish peopleRefers to a person who hates, prejudices, or criticizes the Boers, or Afrikaners – historically applied to British people who held anti-Boers sentiments.
Bog / Bogtrotter / Bog-trotterUnited Kingdom, Ireland, United StatesIrish peopleA person of common or low-class Irish ancestry.
BogateChileYugoslav peopleThe expression is said to come from the Yugoslav interjection Boga ti!
United States, CanadaBohemian peopleA lower-class immigrant of Central, Eastern, or Southeastern European descent. Originally referred to those of Bohemian descent. It was commonly used toward Central European immigrants during the early 20th century. Probably from Bohemian + a distortion of Hungarian. See also hunky.
BolitaArgentinaBolivians
BongIndiaBengali people
Boong / Boang / Bong / BungAustraliaAboriginal Australians. Boong, pronounced with ʊ, is related to the Australian English slang word bung, meaning "dead", "infected", or "dysfunctional". From bung, to go bung "Originally to die, then to break down, go bankrupt, cease to function ". The 1988 edition of the Australian National Dictionary gives its origin in the Wemba word for "man" or "human being". However, Frederick Ludowyk of the Australian National Dictionary Centre wrote in 2004 that bong meaning "dead" is not a Wiradjuri word, but may have been picked up or assumed from the word "bung" which was originally a Yagara word which was used in the pidgin widely spoken across Australia in colonial times.
Boonga / boong / bunga / boonieNew ZealandPacific IslandersLikely derived from the similar Australian slur
BootlipUnited StatesAfrican American people
BougnouleFrance, WolofArabian people, North Africans, Black peopleAnalogous to Wog or Raghead, originally was used against Black people but broadened to brown Arabs
Bounty barUnited KingdomBlack peopleA black person who is considered to be behaving like a white person.
BozgorRomaniaHungarian peopleUsed especially on ones born in Romania. Possibly derived from the Moldavian Csángó dialect pronunciation of bocskor meaning Opanak, a type of rustic footwear.
Brillo PadUnited StatesBlack PeopleUsed to refer to the hair of a black person
BrownieUnited States, New Zealand, and AustraliaBrown-skinned people, an AsianUsed in the 1850s–1960s; in Australia it was used for an Aboriginal Australian or someone Japanese; in New Zealand, a Māori
BuckwheatUnited StatesBlack peopleThe name of a black character that appeared in the Our Gang short films. Today it is used to refer to the curly hair of a black person.
BuddhaheadUnited StatesAsian peopleAlso used by mainland Japanese Americans to refer to Hawaiian Japanese Americans since World War II.
Buckra, BakraUnited States, West IndiesWhite people from Sub-Saharan African languages
BulbashRussia, UkraineBelarusiansDerived from Belarusian word "bulba", based on the fact that potatoes are a very common ingredient in Belarusian cuisine.
BuleIndonesiaWhite people or foreignerDerived from an archaic Indonesian word for albino.
BumbayPhilippinesPeople from IndiaFrom Bombay
Burrhead / Burr-head / Burr headUnited StatesBlack peopleReferencing Afro-textured hair.
Bushy / Bushies, Amadushie South AfricaKhoisansHistorically used against the Khoisan people in Southern Africa, referring to their nomadic lifestyle and reliance on the bush for survival.

C

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
Cabbage eaterGerman and Russian people
CanacaChileChinese and Japanese peopleCanaca is a slur originating in Oceania.
Camel jockeyMiddle Eastern people
Camel driversGermanyArabs and Turks
Camel ridersIsraelArabs
CarcamanoBrazilItalian peopleUsed during the early 20th century, during the Second wave of Italian immigration to Brazil.
Chakhchakh / BaboonIsraelMizrahi JewsAn Israeli derogatory nickname that was common in the 20th century. The term is probably based on the accent immigrants from Islamic countries spoke.
ChakmaBangladeshJumma and Chinese peopleThe term "Chakma" comes from the name of an ethnic group known as Chakma and is used to refer to people with Mongoloid features in Bangladesh, especially Chinese, and other indigenous groups from the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
ChankoroJapanChinese people, a Japanese reference to a Chinese person. Often given as either derived from c=清國虜 or c=中國人
CharlieUnited StatesWhite AmericansUsed in the 1960s–1970s. White people as a reified collective oppressor group, similar to The Man or The System.
CharlieUnited StatesVietnamese peopleVietnam War slang term used by American troops as a shorthand term for Vietnamese guerrillas, derived from the verbal shorthand for "Victor Charlie", the NATO phonetic alphabet for VC, the abbreviation for Viet Cong. The North Vietnamese Army was referred to as "Mr. Charles".
China SwedeUnited StatesFinnsDerogatory term for Finnish immigrants to the United States, particularly in Minnesota and Michigan.
Chee-chee, Chi-chiSouth AsiaEurasian Mixed-race people, especially Anglo-IndiansProbably derived from Hindi chi-chi fie!, literally, dirt.
Cheese-eating surrender monkeysUnited StatesFrench peopleThe term originated with a 1995 episode of The Simpsons.
Chefur SloveniaNon-Slovenian people of former Yugoslavia
Tsekwa / ChekwaPhilippinesChinese Filipino peopleUsed in Filipino/Tagalog and other Philippine languages, which derived it from the late 19th century Cebuano Bisaya street children's limerick,, where "Intsik"/"Insik" is derived from the Philippine Hokkien term, poj=in chek, while "wakang"/"gwakang" is derived from the Philippine Hokkien term, poj=góa kang, while "kaon"/"kaun" is from the Cebuano Bisaya term,, while "kalibang" is from the Cebuano Bisaya term,.
ChernomazyRussiaBlack-skinned people, e.g. Africans or indigenous people from the Caucasus, e.g. from Chechnya or Azerbaijan.черномазый, meaning "smeared in black" in Russian.
ChernozhopyRussiaSame as, but more insulting than, "chernomazy"черножопый, or chornaya zhopa, meaning "black-arse" in Russian.
ChilangoMexicoMexico City inhabitants
ChiloteArgentinaChilean people
ChinamanUnited States, CanadaChinese peopleA calque of the Chinese 中國人. It was used in the gold rush and railway-construction eras in western United States when discrimination against the Chinese was common.
Ching chongChina, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, PhilippinesChinese peopleMocking a person or language perceived to be of Chinese descent.
ChinkChina, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia,PhilippinesEast and South East Asians
Chinky / Chinky ChonkyChina, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia,PhilippinesEast and South East Asians
Chirigüillo / ChiriwilloMexicoNon-White Mexican migrantsA pejorative term used in the state of Nuevo León to refer to Mexicans from white-minority regions who are singled out for their ethnicity, skin color, or rural origin.
ChonkyAsian peopleRefers to a person of Asian heritage with "white attributes", in either personality or appearance.
Christ-killerJewish peopleAn allusion to Jewish deicide.
Choc iceBlack peopleA person who is figuratively "black on the outside, white on the inside".
CholoLatin America, Southwestern United StatesIndigenous or Mestizo peopleIt may be derogatory depending on circumstances.
CholoChileBolivian people, Peruvian people
Chon / Baka-ChonJapanKorean people
ChowAustraliaChinese peopleUsed as early as 1864, rare now
ChowmeinIndiaChinese people, Northeast Indians-
Chuchmek / Chechmek Russia / Russian-speaking regionsMiddle / Central Asian people, in a broader sense Non-Russians, Non-European-looking peopleFrom Chichimec, a derogatory term used by the Aztecs and other Mesoamericans to describe the Chichimecs as "uncivilized, aggressive savages", similar to how the ancient Romans called Germanic tribes "barbarians". This name, with its derogatory meaning, was later adopted and brought to Europe by Spanish conquerors.
ChugCanadaCanadian aboriginal peopleSee Chugach for the native people.
Chukhonets, chukhnaRussiaFinnic people
Churka RussiaWestern and Central Asians1. Chock of wood
2. Ignorant person
Ciapaty, ciapakPolandMiddle Eastern, North African, South Asian, and Caucasian people.Derived from chapati.
CigányformaHungaryPersons with the combination of black hair with brown eyes, regardless of ethnicityUsed in 17th century Hungary; literal meaning is "gypsy form"
Cigány népekHungaryEthnic groups or nations where the combination of black hair with brown eyes is dominantUsed in 17th century Hungary; literal meaning is "gypsy folks"
CioarăRomaniaRomani people and Black peopleMeans crow
Cina / CokinIndonesiaChinese peopleUse in media has been banned since 2014 under Keppres No. 12 of 2014, replaced by Tiongkok or Tionghoa. The Keppres even bans use of "China" in media and formal use.
CoconutUnited States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, AustraliaHispanics/Latinos, South/Southeast AsiansNamed after the coconut, in the American sense, it derives from the fact that a coconut is brown on the outside and white on the inside. A person of Hispanic/Latino or South/Southeast Asian descent who is seen as being assimilated into white American culture.
CoconutUnited States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, AustraliaSouth AsiansA brown person of South Asian descent is perceived as fully assimilated into Western culture.
CoconutUnited States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, AustraliaPacific Islander
ColonoBrazil Italian Brazilians and German BraziliansAlthough it is not generally considered an insult in other parts of Brazil, in Rio Grande do Sul it is considered pejorative because it is considered an offensive nickname similar to Caipira and is given to those who are native to the Rio Grande do Sul countryside, who are descendants of Italians or Germans and who have a strong accent compared to those who are native to the state's capital, Porto Alegre.
CoñoChileSpanish peopleUsed in to refer to Spanish people given the perception that they recurrently use the vulgar interjection coño.
CoolieUnited States, CanadaAsian people, usually Chinese, and Indo-Caribbean peopleUnskilled Asian laborer. Possibly from Mandarin "苦力" ku li or Hindi kuli, "day laborer." Also racial epithet for Indo-Caribbean people, especially in Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and South African Indians.
, cooneyUnited States, CommonwealthBlack peopleSlur popularized by Coon songs played at Minstrel show. Originally associated in the 1830s with the U.S. Whig Party who used a raccoon as their emblem. The Whigs were more tolerant towards blacks than other main parties. After the party folded the term "coon" evolved from political slang into a racial slur. Within African American communities, the word has been used to refer to a black person who is allegedly a "sellout".
, cooneyAustraliaAboriginal Australian
, cooneyNew ZealandPacific Islander
Coonass, Coon-assUnited StatesCajun peopleNot to be confused with the French connasse, meaning cunt.
CoreanoChileChinese and Japanese people
Cotton pickerUnited StatesIndividuals of African descent, including African-Americans and Cape Coloureds or ColouredsHistorically referred to someone who harvested cotton by hand, often used in the context of American slavery when enslaved black people were forced to pick cotton on plantations. The phrase originally referred to the actual occupation of picking cotton on plantations in the American South, but that it later became a racial slur used to denigrate people of African descent, including African-Americans and Cape Coloureds or Coloureds.
CrackerUnited StatesWhite people, especially poor Appalachian and Southern peopleEntered general use in the United States as a pejorative for white people, though may be used neutrally in context. Can specifically refer to white settlers, as with Florida or Georgia crackers.
CrowUnited StatesBlack people
Crucco, crucca ItalyGerman peopleThe name was firstly given during the First World War to the troops of the Austro-Hungarian Army of Croatian and Slovenian ethnicity. Later the term was used to indicate the Germans.
CulchieIrelandRural Irish peopleApplied by townspeople or city folk as a condescending or pejorative reference to people from rural areas.
CurepíParaguayArgentinesA common term used by people from Paraguay for people from Argentina, it means "pig's skin".
Curry-muncherAustralia, Africa, New Zealand, United States, CanadaSouth Asian People
Cushi, Kushi IsraelDark-skinned peopleTerm originated from Kushite, referring to an individual from the Ancient Kingdom of Kush. This was also mentioned in the Hebrew Bible generally used to refer to people usually of African descent. Originally merely descriptive, in present-day Israel it increasingly assumed a pejorative connotation and is regarded as insulting by Ethiopian Israelis; and by non-Jewish, Sub-Saharan African migrant workers and asylum seekers in Israel.
Czarnuch, czarnucha PolandBlack peopleFrom "czarny". Equivalent of nigger.

D

E

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
Eight ball, 8ballBlack peopleReferring to the black ball in pool. Slang, usually used disparagingly.
EngelsmanSouth AfricaWhite South Africans of British descent whose first language is EnglishAfrikaans: Englishman. A derogatory term used to refer to white South Africans of British descent whose first language is English. This is due to historical and cultural tensions between English-speaking and Afrikaans-speaking white South Africans, which were fueled by British colonialism and apartheid policies. Some Afrikaans-speaking people view the English-speaking minority as elitist and condescending, and the use of the term "Engelsman" reflects these attitudes.
EyetieUnited States, United KingdomItalian peopleOriginated through the mispronunciation of "Italian" as "Eye-talian". Slang usually used disparagingly.

F

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
Fankui, fan-kui, fangui, gui-zi, guizi, guiChiefly Southeast AsiaNon-Chinese native people of Southeast AsiaThese words are considered extremely derogatory, since they allege that anyone other than the Chinese have terrible attitudes and are uncivilised idiots.
Fresh off the boat, off the boatAsian Americans or immigrants in generalReferring to immigrants who have traveled to another foreign country and have yet acculturated into the nation's ethnicity or language, but still perpetuate their cultures. The slur also was the name for a sitcom named 'Fresh Off The Boat'.
Farang khi nokThailandPoor white peopleIs slang commonly used to insult white people, equivalent to white trash, as khi means feces and nok means bird, referring to the white color of bird-droppings.
FenianNorthern Ireland, ScotlandIrish CatholicsDerived from the Fenian Brotherhood.
Festival children USSR Children of mixed ancestry, usually with a father who is black or other non-European originsIt is believed that the first noticeable appearance of black and mixed-ancestry children in the USSR and Russia appeared after the 6th [World Festival of Youth and Students] of 1957. The term was often used ironically and sometimes in a mildly derogatory fashion.
This term is currently not used.
Feuj FranceJewish people
FidschiEast GermanyEast or Southeast Asian people, particularly Vietnamese peopleGerman for Fiji, used to refer to anyone who looks East or Southeast Asian, particularly those of Vietnamese origin.
FjellabeDenmarkNorwegian peopleMeans mountain ape. Jocularly used by Danes mostly in sports. From the 1950s. Norway is mountainous while Denmark is flat without mountains.
FlipUnited StatesFilipino people
FodechinchoSpainNon-Galician SpaniardsA derogatory term used in Galicia to refer to tourists from Spain, especially those from Madrid, although also those from other locations, but above all to those who do not respect or adapt to local customs. It comes from Galician fode and chincho.
FranchuteChile, ArgentinaFrench people
FrenkAshkenazi JewsSephardi and Mizrahi JewsDerived from Franks , due to the fact Sephardi Jews are Judaeo-Spanish speakers.
Fritz,,,, United Kingdom, France, Hungary, Poland, Russia, LatviaGerman peoplefrom Friedrich.
, Froggy, Frogeater, FroschfresserAustralia, Canada, United Kingdom, United States, GermanyDutch people
French and French Canadian people
Before the 19th century, referred to the Dutch. When France became Britain's main enemy, replacing the Dutch, the epithet was transferred to them, because of the French penchant for eating frogs' legs. Also known in Slavic countries, but only towards the French, see Polish żabojad, Ukrainian zhaboyid, Russian lyagushatnik ; as well as in Basque frantximant.
Fuzzy-WuzzyUnited KingdomHadendoa peopleTerm used to refer to the Hadendoa warriors in the 19th century, in reference to their elaborate hairstyles. Not applicable in Australia, see Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels.

G

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
GabachoSpain, ChileFrench peopleFrom Occitan gavach meaning "one who speaks wrong."
GabachoMexicoAmerican people, French peopleNeutral or pejorative depending on context.
GabelAlbania, KosovoRomani peopleExpression of disdain for someone, with the setting "Maxhup"
GadjoNon-Romani peopleTechnically a term for a person who does not possess Romanipen, it usually refers to non-Romanis and Romanis who do not live within Romani culture.
Gaijin JapanForeigners, especially those of non-East Asian origin
GallaEthiopiaOromo people or others in Ethiopia and SomaliaUsed since 1670
Gam, GammatSouth AfricaCape Coloured or Coloured peopleIt means "a person who is low or of inferior status" in Afrikaans.
Gans USSRGerman people, or more uncommonly Latvian peopleThe term originated among the Soviet troops in World War II, coming from Russified form of the German first name Hans.
GaroiRomaniaRomani peopleIt means crow.
Geomdung-i South KoreaBlack peopleKorean for coon
GexhëKosovoSerbs of ŠumadijaDerogatory expression for the Serbs of southern Serbia, of Šumadija.
GhatiIndiaMaharashtriansEthnic slur for Maharashtrians living in Ghats
GinAustraliaAboriginal woman
Gin jockeyAustraliaWhite peopleA white person having casual sex with an Aboriginal woman.
GodoSpainNon-Canarian SpaniardsA word used in the Canary Islands to refer disparagingly to Spaniards, provided they are non-Canary Islanders. The word godo literally means “Gothic,” originally referring to the Visigoths, which is a historical reference of the Visigothic Kingdom.
GodonFranceEnglish peopleAn antiquated pejorative expression. Possibly a corruption of "God-damn".
GolliwogUnited States, Australia, United Kingdom, New ZealandDarkskinned people, especially African-CaribbeansAn expression which originally was a children's literature character and type of black doll but which eventually came to be used as a jibe against people with dark skin.
Gook, Gook-eye, GookyUnited StatesEast and Southeast Asians, but particularly KoreansThe earliest recorded example is dated 1920. Used especially for enemy soldiers. Its use has been traced to United States Marines serving in the Philippines in the early 20th century. It gained widespread notice as a result of the Korean and Vietnam wars.
GoombahUnited StatesItalian people, Italian-AmericansInitially applied to Italian or Italian-American men in general, it now also specifically carries connotations of stereotypical vulgar machismo and Italian Mafia or Italian-American Mafia involvement among ethnic Italians and Italian-Americans. However, "goombah" is also used among Italian-Americans themselves to refer to a friend or comrade; the word becomes pejorative mostly when used by a non-Italian to refer to an ethnic Italian or Italian-American in a derogatory or patronizing way rather than as a friendly term of address among Italian-Americans. Originates from the Southern Italian word cumpa or cumpari and the Standard Italian equivalent, compare, meaning "godfather" or "partner-in-crime".
GoraSouth AsiaWhite peopleFrom the Hindi gorā, meaning "fair, white".
Goy, Goyim, GoyumHebrewNon-Jewish peopleA Hebrew biblical term for "Nation" or "People". By Roman times it had also acquired the meaning of "non-Jew". In English, use may be benign, to refer to anyone who isn't Jewish, or controversial, as it can have pejorative connotations.
Grago, Gragok Eurasians, Kristang peopleA term for Eurasians, and specifically for the Kristang people of Malaysia, many of whom were traditionally engaged in shrimp fishing. It often has pejorative connotations, especially when used by outsiders, though in recent generations members of the community have to some degree tried to reclaim the term.
Greaseball, GreaserUnited StatesMediterranean / Southern European and Hispanic people, and especially Italian people.Greaseball often generally refers to Italians or a person of Italian descent. Meanwhile, though it may be used as a shortening of greaseball to refer to Italians, greaser has been more often applied to Hispanic Americans or Mexican Americans. However, greaseball can also refer to any person of Mediterranean/Southern European descent or Hispanic descent, including Greeks, Spaniards, and the Portuguese, as well as Latin Americans. Greaser also refer to members of a 1950-1960s subculture which Italian Americans and Hispanic Americans were stereotyped to be a part of. "Greaser" in reference to the subculture has taken on a less derogatory connotation since the 1950s.
GreenhornUnited States, New England region, especially Massachusetts.Portuguese peopleCan also be used in a non-derogatory context when not referring to the Portuguese to mean anyone inexperienced at something.
GringoSpanish speakers, mostly Latin AmericaEnglish speakersSometimes used by Latino Americans. In Mexico, the term means an American. Likely from the Spanish word "griego", meaning Greek.
GringoBrazilForeignersA colloquial neutral term for any foreigner, regardless of race, ethnicity or origin, or for a person whose native language is not Portuguese.
GringoSouthern BrazilItalian descendantsA colloquial neutral term for Italian descendants of southern Brazil, specially in Rio Grande do Sul
GroidUnited StatesBlack peopleDerived from "negroid".
Gub, GubbaAustraliaWhite peopleAboriginal term for white people
GuiriSpainForeignersOriginally described the supporters of Queen Maria Christina. Now describes White Northern Europeans.
Guizi Mainland ChinaNon-ChineseBasically the same meaning as the term gweilo used in Hong Kong. More often used when referring foreigners as military enemies, such as riben guizi, and meiguo guizi.
Guido, GuidetteUnited StatesItalian AmericansDerives from the Italian given name, Guido. Guidette is the female counterpart. Used mostly in the Northeastern United States as a stereotype for working-class urban Italian Americans.
Guinea, GinzoItalian peopleMost likely derived from "Guinea Negro", implying that Italians are dark or swarthy-skinned like the natives of Guinea. The diminutive "Ginzo" probably dates back to World War II and is derived from Australian slang picked up by United States servicemen in the Pacific Theater.
GummihalsSwitzerlandGerman peopleLiterally "rubber neck"
GusanoCubaCuban exiles after the revolutionLiterally "worm"
Gweilo, gwailo, kwai lo Southern Mainland China, Hong Kong, MacauWhite menLoosely translated as "foreign devil"; more literally, might be "ghost dude/bloke/guy/etc". Gwei means "ghost". The color white is associated with ghosts in China. A lo is a regular guy. Once a mark of xenophobia, the word is now in general, informal use.
Gyp / GipRomani peopleShortened version of "gypsy"
Gypsy, Gyppo, gippo, gypo, gyppie, gyppy, gippUnited Kingdom, AustraliaEgyptian people and Romani peopleDerived from "Egyptian", Egypt being mistakenly considered these people's origin.

H

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
HairybackSouth AfricaAfrikaners
Hajji, Hadji, HajiUnited States MilitaryIraqi peopleMay also be used to describe anyone from a predominantly Muslim country. Derived from the honorific Al-Hajji, the title given to a Muslim who has completed the Hajj.
Half-breedWorldwideMulti-ethnic peopleMétis is a French term, also used in Canadian English, for a half-breed, and mestizo is the equivalent in Spanish, although these are not offensive per se.
Half-casteEngland, AustraliaMixed race Originally used as a legal and social term.
Hambaya, hamba Sri LankaMuslims in Sri LankaFrom හම්බන්කාරයා ; derived from the Sinhala word for the sampan boats used by seafarers from the Malay Archipelago, from whom Sri Lankan Malays trace partial descent. Its use as an epithet for Muslims traces back to the late 19th century colonial period.
HaoleUnited States, HawaiianNon-Hawaiian people, almost always white people.Can be used neutrally, dependent on context.
Heeb, HebeUnited StatesJewish peopleDerived from the word "Hebrew."
Heigui China, TaiwanBlack peopleLiterally means "black ghost" or "black devil", used similarly to English phrases such as nigga or nigger.
Heukhyeong South KoreaBlack peopleKorean: Black brother. A Korean ethnic slur sometimes for black people.
HevosmiesFinlandRomani peopleFrom hevos- + mies, referring to Gypsy horsemanship.
HikeUnited StatesItalian immigrantsSometimes used with or to distinguish from "Hunk".
HillbillyUnited StatesAppalachian or Ozark Americans
Honky, honkey, honkieUnited StatesWhite peopleDerived from an African American pronunciation of "hunky," the disparaging term for a Hungarian laborer. The first record of its use as an insulting term for a white person dates from the 1950s.
Honky, honkey, honkieNew ZealandEuropean New ZealandersUsed by Māori to refer to New Zealanders of European descent.
HoriNew ZealandMāoriFrom the formerly common Maorified version of the English name George.
Hottentot, HotnotSouth AfricaKhoisans and Cape Coloureds or ColouredsA derogatory term historically used to refer to the Khoisan people of Southern Africa and their descendants, coloureds. It originated from the Dutch settlers who arrived in the region in the 17th century.
HoutkopSouth AfricaBlack peopleLiterally "wooden head"
Huan-a, HuanaTaiwan and Southeast AsiaNon-Chinese native peopleThis word is derogatory because huan-a means "foreigner" which portrays non-Chinese natives as not human. In Taiwan, it carries the connotation of "aborigine". In Indonesia, it refers to non-Chinese native people descended from the many ethnolinguistic groups native to Indonesia commonly known by the term pribumi.
HuincaArgentina, ChileNon-Mapuche Chileans, non-Mapuche ArgentinesMapuche term dating back at least to the Conquest of Chile.
Hujaa MongoliaChinese peopleEquivalent to the word chink.
HunUnited States, United KingdomGerman people Germans, especially German soldiers; popular during World War I. Derived from a speech given by Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany to the German contingent sent to China during the Boxer Rebellion in which he exhorted them to "be like Huns" to their Chinese enemy.
HunIrelandProtestants and British soldiersA Protestant in Northern Ireland or historically, a member of the British military in Ireland.
Hunky, HunkUnited StatesCentral European laborersIt originated in the coal regions of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, where Poles and other immigrants from Central Europe came to perform hard manual labor in the mines.
HurriFinlandSwedish-speaking population of Finland, Swedish peopleInitially used as a derogatory term for the Swedish-speaking minority of Finland, sometimes used as a slur for any Swedish speaker
HymieUnited StatesJewish peopleDerived from the personal name Hyman. Jesse Jackson provoked controversy when he referred to New York City as "Hymietown" in 1984. Has also been spelled "Heimie", as a reflection of popular Jewish last names ending in -heim.

I

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
Ikey / Ike / Iky: a Jew Jewish peopleDerived from the name Isaac, an important figure in Hebrew culture.
Ikey-mo / IkeymoJewish peopleDerived from the names Isaac and Moses, two important figures in Hebrew culture.
Indio / InditoIndigenous peopleAlthough the term indio is a demonym for the aboriginal populations of the American continent, in some countries it has acquired a derogatory connotation.
IndonMalaysia, SingaporeIndonesian peopleClipping of Indonesia.
Indognesial / IndonesialMalaysiaIndonesian peopleWhich similar to "Indon" term mixed with "Dog" and "Sial".
IntsikPhilippinesChinese Filipino peopleUsed in Filipino/Tagalog and other Philippine languages. Based on the Philippine Hokkien term, poj=in chek.
RwandaTutsi peopleA person of the Tutsi ethnic group in Africa. Literally means "Cockroach" and reportedly derives from how Tutsi rebels would attack at night and retreat, being hard to kill, like a cockroach. Most notably came to worldwide prominence around the time of the Rwanda genocide, as it was used by the RTLM in order to incite genocide.
Indian GiverUnited StatesNative AmericansPresumes that when Native Americans give gifts they intend to take them back. It is applied to anyone who does this to paint them as performing an action akin to an "Indian".
InjunUnited StatesNative AmericansCorruption of "Indian"
InselaffeGermanyEnglish people, British people in generalTranslates to "Island monkey"
InuJapanAinu peopleWord literally meaning dog in Japanese. Pun of unknown origin, but used to compare the hirsute genetics of Ainu people with the fur coat of dogs. Possibly also has to do with Matagi hunters, who have Ainu ancestry, working with Akita Inu. Usually used pejoratively like bitch, another term comparing people to dogs.
ItorBangladeshPeople from the Greater Cumilla region The term "ITOR" borrowed from the English acronym for "Information Technology Organiser" was a title given by the British to people from the Tipperah district in the Bengal province due to their quick thinking, cleverness and consistent success. It is now used as slang by Bangladeshis to refer to people from these three districts.
ItakerGermanyItalian peopleFormerly used as a nickname for Italian soldiers and the since the 1960s as a slur for Italian immigrants.

J

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
JackeenIrelandDublin peopleBelieved to be in reference to the Union Jack, the flag of the United Kingdom. By adding the Irish diminutive suffix -een meaning little to Jack thereby ¨meaning "Little Jack" and implying "little Englishmen". It was more commonly used to separate those of Anglo-Irish heritage from those of Gaelic heritage. While the term is applied to Dublin people alone today, it was applied in the past as a pejorative term against all city dwellers and not just those in Dublin.
JakunMalaysiaUnsophisticated people, from the Malay name of an indigenous ethnic group.
Jamet, Jamet kuproyIndonesiaJavanese peopleJamet stands for Jawa metal, while kuproy stands for kuli proyek.
JapaBrazilJapanese peopleUsually an affectionate way of referring to Japanese people, although it may be considered a slur. This term is never censored when it appears in mass media.
JapUnited StatesJapanese peopleMostly found use during World War II, post-WWII.
JapUnited StatesJewish womenUsually written in all capital letters as an acronym for "Jewish-American princess," a stereotype of Jewish American women as materialistic or pampered.
Japie, yarpieSouth AfricaWhite, rural South AfricansDerived from plaasjapie, "farm boy".
JareerSomaliaSomali BantusThe Somali word jareer comes from a term for “hard” or “kinky” hair and gained ethnic meaning through the East African slave trade and the stigmatization of Bantu peoples.
JawirIndonesiaJavanese people, especially Javanese people with darker skinComes from the words "Jawa" and "Ireng" from a Javanese word means black
JeetWorldwideIndians, particularly Hindus and SikhsAn invented term for Indian people, particularly adherents of Hinduism and Sikhism, allegedly originating on 4chan.
JerryCommonwealthGerman people, especially soldiersProbably an alteration of "German". Origin of Jerry can. Used especially during World War I and World War II.
JewboyUnited States, United KingdomJewish boysOriginally directed at young Jewish boys who sold counterfeit coins in 18th century London.
Jidan / Jidov / JidovinRomaniaJewish person.
, jiggerboo, niggerboo, jiggabo, jigarooni, jijjiboo, zigabo, jig, jigg, jiggerUnited StatesBlack people with stereotypical black features.From a Bantu verb tshikabo, meaning "they bow the head docilely," indicating meek or servile individuals.
Jim CrowUnited StatesBlack people
JjangkkaeKoreaChinese people
JjokbariKoreaJapanese people
Jock, jocky, jockieUnited KingdomScottish peopleScots language nickname for the personal name John, cognate to the English, Jack. Occasionally used as an insult, but also in a respectful reference when discussing Scottish troops, particularly those from Highland regiments. For example, see the 9th Division. Same vein as the English insult for the French, as Frogs. In Ian Rankin's detective novel Tooth and Nail the protagonist – a Scottish detective loaned to the London police – suffers from prejudice by English colleagues who frequently use "Jock" and "Jockland" as terms of insult; the book was based on the author's own experience as a Scot living in London.
JovenlandésSpainAlleged criminal non-European migrantsA term used to refer to young people of foreign origin who appear in news reports, generally as perpetrators of crimes, and whose nationality is omitted.
Jungle bunnyUnited States, CommonwealthBlack people
Jutku, jutskuFinlandJewish people

K

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
Kaew Northeastern ThailandVietnamese people
Kaffir, kaffer, kaffir, kafir, kaffre, kuffarSouth AfricaBlack and Cape Coloured or Coloured peopleAlso caffer or caffre. from Arabic kafir meaning "disbeliever".
Kaffir boetieSouth AfricaBlack and Cape Coloured sympathizers during apartheidMeaning "Kaffir brothers", it is analogous to "negro lover" in English. The term is outdated and no longer used.
Kanglu, KangladeshiBangladesh, India, PakistanBangladeshisA portmanteu of the words kaṅgāl and Bangladeshi. It is used to refer to Bangladeshis, associating them with poverty or immigration issues.
KalarMyanmarMuslim citizens who are "black-skinned", Bengali, Rohingya or any South Asian Muslim or Hindus or "undesirable aliens."The word "Kalar" is derived from the Burmese word "ကုလား". It is a word often used in Myanmar, usually in a negative way to refer to people with darker skin, especially those of South Asian descent or dark-skinned Muslims and Hindus.
KalbitRussianCentral Asians
Kalia, Kalu, KalluIndianDarkskinned peopleLiterally means "blackie", generally used for black-skinned people in India. Can also have a racist overtone when referring to Africans.
Katwa, KatweIndianMuslim malesWord used to describe Muslim males for having a circumcised penis as mentioned in the Khitan of Islam.
KanakaAustraliaPacific Islanders
KanakeGermanTurkish people, foreigners in generalOriginally used to refer to Native Polynesians. To some extent re-appropriated.
KanoPhilippinesWhite AmericansUsually used in Filipino or other Philippine languages. Shortened from the Filipino word "Amerikano". It usually refers to Americans, especially a stereotypical male white American, which may extend to western foreigners that may fit the stereotype which the speaker is not familiar with, especially those from Europe, Australia, New Zealand, etc.
Kaouiche, KawishCanadian FrenchNative Americans
KäskoppGermanyDutch peopleMiddle German slur that translates to "cheese head".
Katsap, kacap, kacapasUkraine, Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, RussiaRussian people, ; self-deprecating usage by Russians.
KebabMuslims, usually of Arabian,Turkic or Iranian descent.Its origin is a Serbian music video that was recorded in 1993 during the Yugoslav Wars but the phrase has spread globally amongst far-right groups and the alt-right as a meme between 2006 and 2008. Famously Turkish internet users parodied the sentiment of Serbian nationalists online, with a satirical incoherent rant that ended with the phrase "remove kebab" being repeated. Although the meme initially intended to parody racism, this meaning behind the meme was lost once it became common in alt-right discourse.
Keling, klingIndonesia, Malaysia, SingaporeIndian peopleIn Indonesian, the term can be applied to any person with dark complexion, not only of Indian descent, but also to native Indonesians with darker complexion and Africans. The term is derived from the ancient Indian region of Kalinga, where many immigrants to countries further east originated.
Kemosabe / KemosahbeeUnited StatesNative AmericansThe term used by the fictional Native American sidekick Tonto as the "Native American" name for the Lone Ranger in the American television and radio programs The Lone Ranger.
Kettō JapanWesternersLiterally means "foreigners full of body hair". Alternative form: ketōjin
Khach, Khachik RussiaPeoples of the Caucasus, particularly North Caucasus and ArmeniansFrom Armenian խաչ khach, meaning cross. Khatchik is also an Armenian given name coming from the same root.
KharadimIsraelHaredi JewsBlend word of khara + Haredi
KharkhuwaIndiaAssamese people
KhawalEgyptGay people
Khokhol Russia, PolandUkrainian peopleDerived from a term for a traditional Cossack-style haircut.
Khom ThailandKhmer peopleDerived from Khmer Krom, popularized in the 20th century by Thai pan-nationalists to historically negate the fact that modern Khmer population is descended from the Angkorian Empire.
KhựaVietnamChinese peopleVariant form of "Tàu khựa"
Ikula / Amakula South AfricaA person or people Indian heritage.
KikeUnited StatesJewsPossibly from קײַקל kikel, Yiddish for "circle". Immigrant Jews who could not read English often signed legal documents with an "O". Also known by the euphemism "K-word".
KimchiKorean people
KıroTurkeyKurdish menA word used to describe rude and hairy men, pejoratively refers to the Kurds.
Kitayoza китаёзаRussiaEast Asian people, especially the Chinese.Derived from "kitayets".
Kkamdungi South KoreaBlack peopleKorean for nigga or nigger.
KnackerIrelandIrish Travelers
Kojaengi South KoreaWesternersFrom 코 and -쟁이, prevalently used during the 19th and 20th centuries to refer to White foreigners
KoloradUkrainePro-Russian separatists and Russian invadersIn reference to Russian St. George ribbon whose coloration resembles the stripes of the Colorado beetle.
KoyotlMexicoNon-indigenous Mexicans and foreignersA Nahuatl term for non-indigenous/Mestizo/White Mexicans, foreigners, or those whose lifestyle is considered urban. The word koyotl literally means “coyote,” symbolically associated with cunning, adaptability, and, in some contexts, with a predatory nature. In the modern context of Nahua communities, the term has acquired the meaning of “a person who does not belong to the indigenous community” or “who lives according to non-traditional customs,” especially in contrast to those who preserve the Nahuatl language and local cultural practices.
KozojebSerbiaAlbanians, BosniansDerived from local translations of "goat fucker"
KrankieEnglandScottish people
KrakkemutDenmarkArabs, Middle EasternsWhile originally being used against greenlanders, it is now mostly used against Middle Easterns and Arabs. The word comes from the greenlandic word "Qaqqamut" meaning "to the mountain, up the mountain", however, the danish people began to pick up the word as an aggressive slur, and used it against the greenlanders, and slowly, it became a slur against the more frequent Arab and Middle Eastern immigrants in Denmark.
KrautUnited States, Canada, CommonwealthGerman peopleDerived from sauerkraut, used most specifically during World War II.
Kūpapa MāoriNew ZealandMāori peopleTerm used to describe Māori people who cooperate with or who are subservient to white authority figures. From historical Māori troops who sided with the colonial government in the 19th century.
KurepiParaguayArgentine peopleA Guarani term used in Paraguay to refer to people from Argentina, derived from kure pire, which means "pigskin."
Kuronbō JapanBlack peopleA derogatory that literally means "darkie" or "nigga" in Japanese. The term has been used as a racial slur against black people, particularly during Japan's colonial era.

L

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
LabasRussiaLithuanian peopleDerived from greetings: Latvian labrīt/labdien/labvakar and Lithuanian labas rytas/laba diena/labas vakaras, meaning "good morning/day/evening".
Land thiefSouth AfricaWhite South AfricansThe term implies that white people stole land from black people during the Apartheid era, and are therefore responsible for the current economic and social inequalities in the country.
LandyaIndia MuslimsUsed primarily by Marathi people; the term translates to "small penis", referring to circumcision.
Laomaozi ChinaRussian peoplePopularized from Northeastern China
LappScandinaviaSámi peopleUsed mainly by Norwegians and Swedes. The word itself means "patch." "Lapland", considered non-offensive, refers to Sámi territory known as "Sápmi", Finland's northernmost county, or the province in northernmost Sweden.
Lebo, LebAustraliaA Lebanese person, usually a Lebanese Australian.
Leupe lonkoChileGerman peopleUsed by some Huilliche people of southern Chile. Means "toasted heads" in reference to the fair hair of many Germans. Originated during the German colonization of Valdivia, Osorno and Llanquihue in the mid-19th century.
LimeyUnited StatesBritish peopleComes from the historical British naval practice of giving sailors limes to stave off scurvy.
Locust Hong KongMainland Chinese people
LondoIndonesiaWhite peopleCommonly used by Javanese people. Derived from "Belanda".
LubraLikely derived from a Tasmanian Aboriginal language.Australian Aboriginal Women
LundyNorthern IrelandIrish PeopleA unionist that sympathises the Nationalists in Northern Ireland. The name emanates from Robert Lundy, a former Governor of Londonderry during the Siege of Derry in 1688, who is reviled as being a traitor to Protestants and as such, an effigy of him is burned each year.
LuganLithuanian people
Lach / Lyakh Ukraine, RussiaPolish peopleLach is a term that originally referred to a representative of Slav tribes living roughly in what is today eastern Poland and western Ukraine, more commonly known today as Lendians, but later became associated with all Polish tribes. In other languages, Lach and derived expressions are neutral.

M

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
Mabuno / MahbunoZimbabweLocal European people held in contempt, commonly white Africans of European ancestry.
MacacaEuropeAfrican peopleOriginally used by francophone colonists in North Africa, also used in Europe against Immigrants from Africa.
MacaronarRomaniaItalian peopleRoughly means "macaroni eater/maker".
MadrasiNorthern IndiaSouth Indian peopleOriginally used as a demonym to refer to the people of the Madras Presidency, which included most of South India. Nowadays, the term is used mainly as a slur by some North Indian people against South Indians, and refers to a harmful stereotype of all South Indian people.
Majus Arab worldPersian peopleA term meaning Zoroastrian, Magi, fire worshipper.
MaketoSpainNon-Basque SpaniardsA Basque word used to describe non-Basque migrants from other parts of Spain who have migrated into the Basque Country, especially those who cannot speak the Basque language.
Malakh-khor IranArab peopleMeaning "locust eater," referring to the eating of locusts in Arab cuisine.
MalauSouth AfricaKhoisans and Cape Coloureds or ColouredsA derogatory Afrikaans slang word derived from Xhosa, used to insult coloured people and Khoisans by suggesting they lack cultural and racial roots and are therefore uncivilized. Its origin can be traced back to the Xhosa word "amalawu" or "ilawu", meaning "Hottentot".
MalaunBangladeshHindus "Malaun" is derived from Bengali মালাউন, which in turn was derived from Arabic "ملعون", which means "cursed" or deprived of God's mercy.
Malingsia / Malingsial / MalingsialanIndonesiaMalaysian peopleUsed in Indonesia, derived from "maling" and "Malaysia". It often arises due to perceived instances of Malaysia claiming aspects of Indonesian culture
MalonIndonesiaMalaysian peopleUsed as the reply to Indon word. Malon is a short for "Malaysia Bloon".
Mangal / Mango / Mangasar / MangustaBulgariaRomani peopleFrom Bulgarian "мангал" – a type of pot. Some variants are derived from the similar-sounding loanwords "манго" – mango and "мангуста" – mongoose.
ManneFinlandRomani menPossibly from Swedish man or from the name Herman. It refers to Romani men, however can also refer to Romani people generally.
Marokaki IsraelMoroccan Jewish peopleDerived from "Maroko" + "Kaki".
Maruta JapanChinese peopleOriginally a term used by Unit 731 referring to its human test subjects, Nowadays used by Netto-uyoku sometimes.
Mau-MauUnited StatesBlack peoplederived from Kenyans of the Kikuyu tribe involved in the Mau Mau Rebellion in the 1950s.
Mayate / MayateroBlack peopleLiterally the Spanish colloquial name of the Figeater beetle.
Mayonnaise MonkeyUnited StatesWhite peopleA term commonly used by black people. A person with a "mayonnaise"-like complexion.
MickIrish people
MilogoracSerbiaMontenegrinsDeriving from Milo Đukanović, used to refer to Montenegrin nationalists/Montenegrins who don't identify as Serbs.
MocroDutchDutch-Moroccan people
MohamedanerDenmarkPerson adherent to IslamDerived from Muhammad.
Mof
Moffen
DutchGerman people
Momo / MomosIndiaNortheast Indians and NepaleseBased on momos, a dumpling made by northeast Indians, Nepalese and Tibetans.
MonkeyEuropeUsually people of African, Melanesian, or Indigenous Australian descent.A universal slur, meaning it has the same meaning in different languages.
Moskal,,,, Ukraine, Belarus, PolandRussiansHistorically a neutral designation for a person from Muscovy, currently refers to Russians.
Moon CricketUnited StatesBlack peopleThe origin is obscure. May refer to slaves singing at night as crickets chirp at dusk.
Mountain TurkTurkeyKurdish peopleFormer Turkish governments denied the Kurds their own ethnicity, calling them Mountain Turks.
MTNSouth SudanDinka peopleThis is derived from MTN's slogan, “everywhere you go". It was repurposed to suggest that the Dinka were encroaching on other groups’ territory to graze their animals everywhere.
MukloPhilippinesFilipino Muslims, notably among Bangsamoro ethnic groupsFirst used by soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines stationed in Mindanao as an ethnic slur towards the Muslim Moro insurgents.
Mulignan / Mulignon / MoolinyanUnited StatesBlack peopleUsed by Italian-Americans. Deriving from "mulignana" the word for eggplant in some South Italian linguistic variants. Also called a mouli.
MuntRhodesia, originally militaryBlack people, usually men
MustalainenFinlandRomani peopleLiterally "blackling," "blackie," "the black people", when "romani" is the neutral term.
MaxhupKosovoRomani peopleExpression of contempt for someone, usually Romani people.
MzunguEastern and Southern Africa, Democratic Republic of the CongoWhite peopleMay be both pejorative and affectionate, depending on usage.

N

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
Namak HaramPakistanAfghans in PakistanDerogatory term used for Afghan refugees in Pakistan translating to “traitors”.
NawarLevantRomani peopleArab term for Romani people and other groups sharing an itinerant lifestyle.
Neftenya / Neftegna / Naftenya / NaftegnaEthiopia/AmharicAmhara peopleLiterally means "rifle-bearer", relates to 19th century Ethiopian history. Since 1975, used as inflammatory term by Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front officials against Amharas; continued inflammatory/derogatory usage in 2020 online media two years after EPRDF loss of political power.
Němčour, nimchura, nemchura Slavic languagesGerman people
NereBengali HindusMuslims
NiakouéFranceEast or Southeast Asian peopleA corrupted Vietnamese word with similar to "yokel", "country bumpkin", etc.
Niglet / NegritoBlack children
, nog, or NignogCommonwealthBlack peopleOriginally used to refer to a novice – a foolish or naive person – before being associated with black people.
Nigger / neeger / neekeri / niger / nig / nigor / nigra / nigre / nigar / niggur / nigga / niggah / niggar / nigguh / niggress / nigette / negro / negerInternational/WorldwideBlack people, especially African-AmericansFrom the Spanish and Portuguese word negro, derived from the Latin niger. The Spanish or Portuguese term, or other such languages deriving the term from it such as Filipino, may vary in its connotation per country, where some countries, the connotation may range from either positive, neutral, or negative, depending on context. For example, in Spanish and Portuguese, "negro" may simply refer to the color black. Among Spanish dialects in different countries, it may have either positive or negative connotations, such as describing someone similarly to my darling or my honey in Argentina, or describing someone to be angry in Spain. In Portuguese, the term "negro" is often preferred to the more offensive preto; however, due to the influence of US-American pop culture, the "n-word" can be found in the language as an anglicism, with identical connotations as the English term.
Niggeritis / NegroitisCaribbeanBlack peopleTo feel sleepy after eating is referred to in and around the Caribbean as having "niggeritis", a direct allusion to the stereotype of laziness of black Africans.
NipUnited States, Australia, New Zealand, United KingdomJapanese peopleSomeone of Japanese descent.
Nitchie / neche / neechee / neejee / nichi / nichiwa / nidge / nitchee / nitchyCanadaNative CanadiansA Native American.
Non-Pri, Non-PribumiIndonesiaIndonesians of foreign descent, especially Chinese IndonesiansThe term pribumi was coined after Indonesian independence to replace the derogatory Dutch term Inlander. "Non-pribumi," often simply "non-pri," was then used to refer to Indonesians of foreign descent and was generally considered to suggest that they were not full citizens. Use of both "pribumi" and "non-pribumi" by government departments was banned by President B.J. Habibie in 1998 according to Inpres No. 26 of 1998, along with instruction to stop discrimination by race in government.
Northern MonkeyUnited KingdomNorthern English peopleUsed in the south of England, relating to the supposed stupidity and lack of sophistication of those in the north of the country. See also Southern Faerie. In some cases, this has been adopted in the north of England, with a pub in Leeds even taking the name "The Northern Monkey".
NusayriSyria and the LevantMembers of the Alawite sect of Shi'a Islam.Once a common and neutral term derived from the name of Ibn Nusayr, the sect's founder, it fell out of favour within the community in the early decades of the 20th century due to the perception that it implied a heretical separateness from mainstream Islam. Resurgent in the context of the ongoing Syrian civil war, the term is now often employed by Sunni fundamentalist enemies of the government of Bashar al-Assad, an Alawite, to suggest that the faith is a human invention lacking divine legitimacy.

O

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
OfayAfrican American VernacularWhite peopleFirst recorded in the late 19th century. Origin unknown. Suggestions include Yoruba ófé, "to disappear"; pig Latin for "foe"; and French au fait, "socially proper".
OláhHungarian-speaking territoriesRomanian peopleEvolved to a pejorative term, originates from the historical designation of Romanians earlier the 19th century.
OrcUkraineRussian soldiersOrc, plural orcs, is a pejorative used by Ukrainians to refer to an invading Russian soldier during the Russo-Ukrainian War. It comes from the name of the fictional humanoid monsters of the same name from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings.-
OreoUnited StatesBlack peopleUsed as early as the 1960s. Refers to a black person who is perceived as acting white, and therefore black on the outside and white on the inside like an Oreo cookie.
Oven DodgerJewish peopleImplying that one or one's ancestors avoided dying in the Holocaust and so avoid the crematorium ovens.
OvernerUnited Kingdom, Isle of WightMainland United Kingdom ResidentsA term used by residents of the Isle of Wight, sometimes pejoratively, to refer to people from the mainland United Kingdom.

P

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
PaddyUnited KingdomIrish peopleDerived from Pádraig/Patrick. Often derogatory; however, the sister of Lord Edward FitzGerald, a major leader of the United Irishmen of 1798, proclaimed that he was "a Paddy and no more" and that "he desired no other title than this".
Paddy wagonIrish peopleAs a reference to a police van, is seen by Irish people as insulting.
PajeetWorldwideIndians, particularly Hindus and SikhsAn invented term for Indian people, particularly adherents of Hinduism and Sikhism, allegedly originating on 4chan.
PākehāNew ZealandNew Zealanders of non-Māori origin.A Te Reo Māori term for New Zealanders with no Polynesian ancestry. The origins of the word is unknown, but there are two common interpretations, "light skin" and "pale, imaginary beings resembling men". It is likely pre-colonial Māori believed Europeans were mythical beings from Māori mythology. The word Pākehā is now commonly used as a word interchangeable with "white" or "European". Language experts and government departments alike do not believe the word has derogatory origins, but some New Zealanders of European decent consider it a derogatory term.
Paki, PakkisUnited Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, NorwayPakistanis, other South AsiansA contemptuous term for a person from Pakistan or South Asia by birth or descent, especially one living in Britain.
PalagiPacific IslandsWhite peopleA Samoan term for a white person, found throughout the Pacific islands. Not usually derogatory unless used in reference to a local to imply they have assimilated into Western culture.
PalefaceNative AmericansWhite people
Pancake Face / PancakeAsian people
PanchitoSpainLatin American people
PapooseUnited States, CanadaNative American children
ParaíbaBrazilNortheastern Brazilian peopleOne of the 9 states in the Northeast Region of Brazil. As a slur, it refers generically to any Northeastern person. Used mainly in Rio de Janeiro, the term is related to the Northeastern immigration of the second half of the 20th century.
Parsubang / ParsolamIndonesia Batak people or non-Batak peopleBatak Dalle and non-Batak people who refuse to consume pork, canine meat, blood, or alcoholic beverages. All are considered haram in Islam. Parsolam itself is a wordplay of solam/silom/selam, an old epithet for Islam and Muslims.
Pastel de flangoBrazilEast Asian peopleUsed mostly to refer to people of Chinese and Japanese origin. Pastel is Portuguese for any pastry and so is used for wonton in Brazil. Flango is eye dialect of frango ridiculing Asian pronunciation.
PašaSerbsBosniaksLiterally meaning Pasha, used by Serbs originated during the Bosnian war to generally mock Bosniak Muslims who wanted keep Ottoman titles and place-names. The modern term is used to refer to old Bosniak men who were pictured in wartime cartoons as being "fat as a pasha."
PayoSpainNon-Romani peopleA Caló term for a person who does not possess Romanipen. It usually refers to non-Romanis in Spain.
PeckerwoodSouthern African American people and Upper-class White peoplePoor, rural White people
PeenoiseEnglish-speaking Southeast AsiaFilipinosUsually used in English or sometimes in Filipino and other Philippine languages. Compound of pee + noise, likened to Pinoy, the colloquial diminutive demonym for Filipinos. The implication makes fun of their high-pitched voice and tendency to scream when speaking online, especially in online gaming and esports.
PerkerDenmarkArabs, Middle EasternPortmanteau of "perser" and "tyrker". The use of it is commonly used towards Middle Eastern immigrants
Pepper or PepsiCanadaFrench Canadians or Québécois.
PickaninnyAfrican American or West Indies child
PiefkeAustriaPrussians and Germans
Pikey / Piky / PikerUnited KingdomIrish Travellers, Romani people, and vagrant lower-class/poor people19th century on; derived from "turnpike".
Pindos / Pendos RussiaAmericansUniversal disparaging term to refer to all Americans. Related slur terms can refer to the United States ─ such as Pindosiya, Pindostan and United States of Pindosiya.
PilakSabahansFilipinosRegional word for "silver" or "money". Particularly targets immigrants.
Pink pigSouth AfricaWhite people
Plastic PaddyIrelandEstranged Irish PeopleSomeone who knows little of Irish culture, but asserts their 'Irish' identity. Can refer to foreign nationals who claim Irishness based solely on having Irish relatives. Often used in the same sense as poseur and wannabe.
PloucFranceBretonsUsed to mean Breton immigrants that came to Paris and extended to mean hillbillies. The term comes from the prefix "plou" found in many Breton city names and toponyms.
Pocho / PochaSouthwest United States, MexicoAdjective for a person of Mexican heritage who is partially or fully assimilated into United States culture ; undersized. See also "Chicano".
PocahontasUnited StatesNative AmericansRefers to a distorted narrative of Pocahontas, a Native American woman, in which the 17th-century daughter of Powhatan who negotiated with the English at Jamestown, married an English colonist and converted to Christianity.
Polack, Polacke, Polak, PolockPolish or Slavic peopleFrom the Polish endonym, Polak. Note: the proper Swedish demonym for Polish people is polack, and the Norwegian equivalent is polakk.
PolacoSpainCatalan people
PolacaBrazilProstitutesIn Brazilian Portuguese the word became synonymous to "prostitute".
PolentoneItalyNorthern ItaliansReferring to them as a "polenta eater".
Pom, Pohm, Pommy, Pommie, Pommie GrantAustralia, New Zealand, South AfricaBritishUsually non-derogatory, but may be derogatory depending on context.
Porch MonkeyBlack people
Porridge wogScots
PortageeUnited StatesPortuguese people and Portuguese AmericansSlur for Portuguese Americans immigrants.
PotetNorwayEthnic NorwegiansMeans "potato" in Norwegian and is mostly used negatively among non-Western immigrants when talking about or trying to offend ethnic Norwegians. Means "light skin like a potato".
Prairie niggerNative American
PrindapanIndonesiaIndian peopleFrom the city of Vrindavan, popularized in Indonesia as the setting of the Indian animated show Little Krishna which aired in Indonesia during the 2010s.
ProdNorthern IrelandNorthern Irish Protestants
PromdiPhilippinesFilipinos from countryside who have limited or no knowledge about Metro Manila or other big cities by the time they first arriveFrom a pronunciation spelling of English "from the ". This term can be offending or stereotypical, as it is often used to make fun of people who first arrive in a big city and wear unfashionable clothes or speak in a rural-like accent, common stereotypes of people coming from the countryside. It is being reclaimed as a symbol of pride. It is often synonymous with the word probinsyano/''probinsyana.''
PshekRussianPolish males

Q

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
, QuashiCaribbeanBlack peopleOften used on those who were often gullible or unsophisticated. From the West African name Kwazi, often given to a child born on a Sunday.

R

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
RagheadWorldwideArabs, Indian Sikhs, etc.Derived from those people wearing traditional headdress such as turbans or keffiyehs. See towel head. Sometimes used generically for all Islamic nations.
RamasamyBritish-ruled Southern AfricaIndians,Ramasamy is a common name used mostly by Tamil people. The racially divided southern Africa was inhabited by a large number of indentured labourers from India of whom Tamils were the majority.
RastusUnited StatesAfrican AmericansA stereotypical term.
RazakarsBengaliAkin to the western term Judas.
RedlegBarbadosWhite peopleUsed to refer to the islands' laborer-class, given how pale skin tends to burn easily.
RedneckUnited StatesWhite AmericansApplied to working-class white people perceived to be crass, unsophisticated, and reactionary; closely associated with rural whites of the Southern United States.
RedskinUnited StatesNative AmericansOften used in the names of sports teams, such as the Washington Redskins, now known as the Washington Commanders. See Native American name controversy.
Remove KebabSerbiaMuslims, usually of Arabian or Turkic descent.Its origin is a Serbian music video that was recorded in 1993 during the Yugoslav Wars but the phrase has spread globally amongst far-right groups and the alt-right as a meme between 2006 and 2008. Famously Turkish internet users parodied the sentiment of Serbian nationalists online, with a satirical incoherent rant that ended with the phrase "remove kebab" being repeated. Although the meme initially intended to parody racism, this meaning behind the meme was lost once it became common in alt-right discourse.
Risorse boldrinianeItalyMaghrebi ArabsLiterally "Boldrini's resources". Used for the first time in 2015 by Matteo Salvini, as a slur for North-African immigrants, who had been unironically called "resources" by Laura Boldrini.
Rockspider, rockSouth AfricaAfrikaners
Rootless cosmopolitan
RussiaJewsSoviet epithet, originated in the official parlance, as an accusation of lack of full allegiance to the Soviet Union.
Rosuke, RoskeJapanRussians"suke/ske" is a Japanese general-purpose derogatory suffix.
RooinekSouth AfricaBritish peopleSlang for a person of British descent.
RotoPeru, BoliviaChilean peopleUsed to refer disdainfully. The term roto was first applied to Spanish conquerors in Chile, who were badly dressed and preferred military strength over intellect.
RoundeyeEnglish-speaking AsiansNon-Asians, especially White people
Russki, ruski, Ryssä United States,
Europe
RussiansFrom the Russian word Русский Russkiy, meaning "Russian".

S

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
SafavidIraqFeyli KurdsMainly used by higher class Sunni Arabs during Ba'athist Iraq to insult Feyli Kurds for their belief in Shia Islam.
SamboUnited StatesAfrican Americans or black people in general
, SandniggerUnited StatesArabs or Muslims in generalMainly used against Muslims due to the desert environment of most Arab countries. Equivalent of dune [|coon].
Sangokujin JapanKorean and Taiwanese peopleOriginally used to refer the various former colonial subjects of the Empire of Japan in the aftermath of World War II.
Sarong Party GirlSingaporeAsian womenUsed to ridicule Asian women who exclusively dates, marries, or socializes with White men for ulterior motives.
SassenachScottish, GaelicEnglish people
SavageEnglandIndigenous people, non-ChristiansUsed to describe a person or people considered primitive/uncivilized. Sometimes a legal term. Targets include indigenous tribes and civilizations in North America, South America, Asia, Oceania, and Africa. US examples include 1776 Declaration of Independence and 1901 Supreme Court DeLima v. Bidwell ruling describing Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines as "savage tribes"
SawneyEnglandScottish peopleArchaic term. Local variant of Sandy, short for "Alasdair".
ScandihoovianScandinavian people living in the United StatesSomewhat pejorative term for people of Scandinavian descent living in the United States, now often embraced by Scandinavian descendants.
Seppo, SepticAustralia, New Zealand, United KingdomAmerican peopleCockney rhyming slang, Australian rhyming slang : Septic tankYank.
SchluchtenscheißerGermanyAustrian peopleTranslates to somebody defecating in a cave and alludes to the mountainous landscape of Austria.
Schvartse, SchwartzeYiddish or German speakersAfrican people
Mizrahi Jews
Literally translates to "black".
Schwartze KhayehAshkenazi JewsMizrahi JewsLiterally translates to "black animal".
Shankella, ShangallaEthiopiaNilotic peoplesbegan as an exonym for various Nilotic-speaking groups on Ethiopia’s western frontier but shifted through centuries of slave raiding and racialized social hierarchies into a pejorative term denoting “black” peoples associated with servility and slavery.
United StatesBlack women
Sheeny / SheenieUnited StatesJewish peopleA 19th-century term for an "untrustworthy Jew".
SheepshaggerAustraliaNew Zealanders
SheepshaggerUnited KingdomWelsh people
SheltaIrelandIrish TravellersDerived from siúilta, which means "The Walkers" in Irish.
Shiksa, Sheigetz Yiddish speakersNon-Jewish peopleFrom Yiddish שייגעץ from Hebrew שֶׁקֶץ, 'abomination'.
Shina JapanChinese peopleThe Chinese term "Zhina" was orthographically borrowed from the Japanese "shina". Variant form of this term: Shinajin/Zhinaren
Zhina Taiwan, Hong KongChinese peopleThe Chinese term "Zhina" was orthographically borrowed from the Japanese "shina". Variant form of this term: Shinajin/Zhinaren
ShineUnited StatesBlack peopleDerived from shoeshiner, a lowly job many black people had to take.
Shitskin / ShitlipNorth America, United KingdomMuslims, Black peopleA racial and religious slur hurled at Muslims and other black people as well, for their extremely dark, "shit-colored" skin complexions
ShiptarFormer YugoslaviaAlbanian peopleFrom misspelled Albanian endonym "Shqiptar".
Shka i VelikësGheg AlbaniansMontenegrins from VelikaDerogatory terms for Montenegrins named after the place Velika in Montenegro.
ShkijeGheg AlbaniansSouth Slavs, in particular Serbs, Macedonians, Montenegrins, BosniaksDerived from the Latin word "Sclavus" or from the Venetian word "Schiavone", which means Slav.
ShkinulkëGheg AlbaniansSouth Slavs, in particular Serbs, Macedonians, Montenegrins, BosniaksSame as Shkije but targeted towards women.
Shkutor
Croatian: Škutor
CroatiaWest-Herzegovinan Croatian peoplePrimarily used to refer to ethnic Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as to majority of Croats who are not natives of the modern-day Croatia.
ShoneenIrelandIrish PeopleIrish Person who imitates English Customs. It means "Little John" in Irish language, referring to John Bull, a national personification of the British Empire in general and more specifically of England.
ShumoGuatemalaIndigenous Guatemalans
Shylock / ShysterJewish people perceived as greedy or usuriousFrom the antagonistic character of Shylock, a Jewish money-lender, in William Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice.
Sí-a-la̍k TaiwanChinese peopleLiterally means "damned mainlanders". The homophonic numerical form of this phrase is also frequently used.
Siamtue Bangkoker Central Thai people Literally Siamese pig; "low and vile like pigs, easy to fatten and slaughter, easy money"; mostly refers to Central Thais who migrated to Bangkok.
Sideways vagina/pussy/cooterAsian women, particularly Chinese women.
SkinnyUnited StatesSomali peopleA term most commonly used for Somali militia fighters.
Skip, SkippyAustraliaAn Australian, especially one of British descentDerived from the children's television series Skippy the Bush Kangaroo.
Skopčák, szkopCzech republic, PolandGerman peopleDerived from "kopec", at a time when ethnic Germans lived in higher regions of Sudetenland. The terms were especially popular when used for Wehrmacht soldiers during World War II.
SkopianoiGreeceEthnic MacedoniansDerived from Skopje, the capital city of North Macedonia.
SkævøjetDenmarkEast Asian peopleSkævøjet, literally meaning "with crooked eyes", is a reference to their appearance.
Slant, slant–eyeEast Asian peopleIn reference to the appearance of the eyes.
SloboFinlandRussians or SlavsFrom the Slavic word sloboda through some means, probably through some form of Russian слобода́.
Slope, slopehead, slopy, slopey, sloperAustralia, United Kingdom, and United StatesAsian people Also slant, slant-eye.
SnowflakeUnited StatesWhite peopleMostly used in this context in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Smoked Irish / Smoked IrishmanUnited StatesBlack peopleA 19th-century term intended to insult both blacks and Irish but used primarily for black people.
Somdeang ThailandNorth KoreansLiterally "red ginseng".
Somkhao ThailandSouth KoreansLiterally "white ginseng".
Soosmar-khor: PersiaArabian peoplePersian for "lizard eater," referring to the eating of lizards in Arab cuisine.
SootyUnited StatesBlack peopleOriginated in the 1950s.
Southern Faerie, Southern FairyUnited KingdomSouthern English peopleUsed in the North of England to refer to someone from the South, alluding to their supposed mollycoddled ways.
SoutpielSouth AfricaWhite English speakersAn Afrikaans term abbreviated as "Soutie" and translates as "Salt-penis," it derives from the Boer Wars where it was said that British soldiers had one foot in the United Kingdom, one foot in South Africa, and their penis dangled in the Atlantic Ocean.
SpadeBlack peopleRecorded since 1928, from the playing cards suit.
SpearchuckerAfrican Americans or people of African descent in generalDerived from the idea that people of African descent were primitive.
Spic, spick, spik, spig, or spigottyUnited StatesHispanic peopleFirst recorded use in 1915. Believed to be a play on a Spanish-accented pronunciation of the English word speak. May apply to Spanish speakers in general and originally applied to Italians and Italian immigrants as well.
SpookBlack peopleAttested from the 1940s.
SquareheadNordic people, such as Scandinavians or Germans.Refers to either the stereotyped shape of their heads, or to the shape of the Stahlhelm M1916 steel helmet, or to its owner's stubbornness.
SquawUnited States and CanadaNative American womenDerived from lower East Coast Algonquian, which originally meant "young woman".
SudacaSpain, MexicoLatin American peopleIn spite of its etymology, is a derogative term used in Spain for all Latin Americans, South American or Central American in origin. In Mexico, the term is solely used to refer to people from South America.
SvartskalleSwedenPeople with dark hair or dark skin
Svenne / Svenne bananSwedenSwedish peopleA slang form of the word "svensk" which means swede in Swedish, and is mostly used negatively among non-Western immigrants when talking about or trying to offend ethnic Swedes.
Swamp GuineaItalian people
SzmatogłowyPolandMiddle Eastern people, ArabsPolish translation of "Raghead".
SzwabPolandGerman peopleDerived from Swabia. See also: Fritz.

T

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
Taffy or TaffUnited KingdomWelsh peopleOriginating as a corruption of the name Dafydd ''Davy or David, and equivalent of other historic English pejoratives Paddy and Jock.
Known since at least the 17th century when life-sized effigies of Welshmen were symbolically lynched in London, and the 18th-century custom of baking "taffies", gingerbread figures made in the shape of a skewered Welshman.
Taig United Kingdom Irish nationalistsUsed by loyalists in Northern Ireland for members of the nationalist/Catholic/Gaelic community. Derived from the Irish name Tadhg, often mistransliterated as Timothy.
Tai KeTaiwanTaiwanese people of lower socio-economic statusLiterally means "Taiwan person". Now reclaimed.
TankaChinaTanka peopleA name for a distinct ethnic group traditionally living in boats off the shore of South China. Originally descriptive, the term Tanka is now considered derogatory and no longer in common use. The people concerned prefer to call themselves by other names, such as 'Nam Hoi Yan' or 'Sui Seung Yan', and other more polite terms.
Tar-BabyUnited StatesBlack childrenAlso used to refer without regard to race to a situation from which it is difficult to extricate oneself. See tar baby.
TàuVietnamChinese peopleVariant form of "Tàu khựa"
TeabagSouth AfricaBlack and Cape Coloured or Coloured individuals who have a light skin
TeapotBlack peopleOriginates from the 19th century.
TerroneItalySouthern Italian people
TeuchterSouthern ScotlandNorthern Scottish peopleUsed to refer to somebody from the north of Scotland or rural Scottish areas.
Thambi, thambiya Sri LankaMuslims, especially Sri Lankan MoorsFrom the Tamil word தம்பி meaning "younger brother." The anglicization "Tamby" was used to refer to Moors in British Ceylon at the turn of the 20th century.
ThicklipsUnited KingdomBlack people
TiblaEstoniaRussian or Soviet peopleIn widespread use by the Estonian War of Independence, this word was forbidden under the Soviet occupation of Estonia. It may be a shortened corruption of Vitebski, workers from the Vitebsk Governorate during World War I who were seen as dumb. It may also come from the Russian profane addressing "ty, blyad," "ты, блядь" or, truncated, "ty, blya," "ты, бля.
TikoIndonesiaNative Indonesian peopleTiko stands for Tikus kotor. It may also derive from Hokkien 猪哥, which means "brother of a pig", referring to their majority Muslim heritage.
TikurEthiopiaBlack peopleTikur it functions as a racialized descriptor for ethnic groups historically associated with slavery in Ethiopia and is opposed to qey'' which refers to the Ethiopians themselves.
Timber niggerNative AmericansRefers to the Native Americans on the East coast living in areas that were heavily forested.
TimurSyrian people from DamascusRefers to the children born of the mass rapes that the Turco-Mongol Tatar soldiers of Timur committed against the Syrian women of Damascus in the Siege of Damascus .
Ting tongUnited KingdomChinese people or East Asians.
Tinker / tynekere / tinkere / tynkere, -are / tynker / tenker / tinkar / tyncar / tinkard / tynkard / tinckerBritain and IrelandLower-class peopleAn inconsequential person .
Tinker / tynekere / tinkere / tynkere, -are / tynker / tenker / tinkar / tyncar / tinkard / tynkard / tinckerScotland and IrelandRomani peopleOrigin unknown – possibly relating to one of the "traditional" occupations of Romanis as traveling "tinkerers" or repairers of common household objects.
Tinker / tynekere / tinkere / tynkere, -are / tynker / tenker / tinkar / tyncar / tinkard / tynkard / tinckerScotlandNative Scottish peopleA member of the native community; previously itinerant ; who were reputed for their production of domestic implements from basic materials and for repair of the same items, being also known in the past as "travelling tinsmiths", possibly derived from a reputation for rowdy and alcoholic recreation. Often confused with Romani people.
ToadUnited StatesBlack peoplePrison slang.
Toku-AJapanChinese and Korean peopleLiterally means "specific Asia", A term used by netto-uyoku referring to the only specific part of Asia with strong Anti-Japanese sentiment in their countries.
TontoUnited StatesNative AmericansNative American character in the American television and radio programs The Lone Ranger. Spanish for "Idiot".
Touch of the tar brushCommonwealthWhite people with suspected non-white ancestryPhrase for a person of predominantly European ancestry with real or suspected African or Asian distant ancestry.
Towel headTurban wearersOften refers specifically to Sikhs, or Arabs and Muslims—based on the traditional keffiyeh headdress. However, in British English, the term is only used to refer to Arabs. Americans use the term 'rag-head' to apply to wearers of turbans as well, because the cloth that makes a turban could be described as a rag, but in British English the term towel-head solely refers to Arabs because the traditional, Middle Eastern keffiyeh, such as the red and white Saudi one or the black and white Palestinian keffiyeh worn by Yasser Arrafat, resemble the most common styles of British tea-towels – dishcloth in American – while Sikh turbans do not.
Tumba-Yumba Post-Soviet countriesAfricans and by extension any culture perceived as uncivilizedFrom "Mumbo-Jumbo".
Tourk-alvanos GreeceMuslim AlbaniansEthnographic, religious, and derogatory term used by Greeks for Muslim Albanians.
TurcoBrazil, ChileSyrians, Palestinians, Lebanese, Jews, ArmeniansMeaning "Turk" in Portuguese and Spanish. The term originated in the late 19th century to refer those who came to Brazil, Argentina and Chile from the Ottoman Empire. Since Jews frequently occupied the same roles as peddlers as Syrians and Lebanese, they were also called "turcos" in Brazil. Ironically, there was no relevant immigration of ethnic Turks to Brazil.
Turčin, PoturčinSerbsBosniaksIn reference to the supposed ambiguity of Bosniaks and their ethnic origins; referring to their acceptance of the Muslim faith as them becoming "Turkified" or "Poturčin"
TurkSouth WalesLlanelli residentsThe origin of this term is uncertain; some theories suggest it due to Llanelli's popularity with Turkish sailors in the late 19th to early 20th century or possibly when Turkish migrants heading for the United States stopped in Llanelli and decided to settle due to there being jobs available. However, most likely it's due to the fact that during World War One there was a trade embargo in place during Gallipoli, but Llanelli continued to trade tin with the Turkish; this led to people from neighbouring Swansea and other surrounding areas referring to them as Turks.
TurkentrekkerThe NetherlandsTurkish peopleA combination of the word "Turk" and "kurkentrekker".
TurkoSephardic JewsAshkenazi JewsLadino word meaning "Turk". The exact history of the term is uncertain, but possibly refers to the Khazar hypothesis of Ashkenazi ancestry.
: United StatesEuropean Americans, Asian AmericansEuropean Americans with few or no social or genealogical links to an indigenous tribe, who claims to be Native American, particularly a New Age practitioner purporting to be a spiritual leader, healer, or medicine man/woman. Also an Asian American who has become assimilated into mainstream American culture.
Type CMalaysiaChinese peopleType C was another name for USB-C before being used as a slur referring to Chinese people, its proclaimed meaning is 'Type Chinese'.

U

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
Ukro-Nazi, Ukronazi, UkrofascistRussiaUkrainiansLabel used to link self-identifying Ukrainians during the Russo-Ukrainian War to Nazism, evoke Soviet victory in WWII, and justify Russian atrocities in Ukraine.,.
UkropRussiansUkrainiansA disparaging term which means "dill" in Russian, itself derived from "Ukrainian" ↔ Ukrop.
Uncle TomUnited StatesBlack peopleRefers to black people perceived as behaving in a subservient manner to white authority figures. In South Africa, the term "Uncle Tom" has been used as a derogatory slur against coloreds who were perceived as collaborating with the apartheid regime or being subservient to white people. In South Africa, the use of the term "Uncle Tom" by black people against coloureds or vice versa is considered racist and discriminatory according to the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act.
UntaIndonesiaArab IndonesiansMeaning "Camel".
UPAina / UPAińcy / UPAiniec, UPAinkaPolandUkrainiansPortmanteau word Ukraine + UPA responsible for Volhynia genocide.
UppityBlack peopleRefers to black people who are perceived as being insolent.
Ustaša Serbia, and Bosnia, Montenegro, SloveniaCroatiansBecame a derogatory slur used primarily by Serbian nationalists in reference to the Independent State of Croatia and the fascist Ustaša movement during World War II in Yugoslavia. In contemporary Serbia, both politicians and media outlets have used the slur "Ustaše" to negatively refer to Croatia as being a fascist nation, or to the Croatian people as being inherently evil.
UzkoglazyjRussiaAsian people, in particular East and Central Asians.Narrow-eyed

V

W

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
WaachMexicoNon-Yucatec MexicansA Yucatec Maya word used by the inhabitants of the Yucatán Peninsula to refer to non-Yucatec Mexicans, specially migrants who come from other parts of the country.
Wagon burnerNative American peopleA reference to when Native American tribes would attack wagon trains during the wars in the eastern American frontier.
Wasi'chu, WasichuLakota people, Dakota peopleNon-Native white peopleWord for a non-Native white person, meaning "the one who takes the best meat for himself".
West BritIrelandIrish peopleDirected at Irish people perceived as being insufficiently Irish or too Anglophilic.
WetbackUnited StatesUndocumented immigrants Refers to undocumented immigrants residing in the United States. Originally applied specifically to undocumented Mexican migrant workers who had crossed the United States border via the Rio Grande river to find work in the United States, the word's meaning has since broadened to any undocumented person who enters the United States via the southern border.
White ape, White chimpanzeeBritain, United StatesIrish peopleIrish people were often portrayed as apes in cartoon and newspaper illustrations and also in conversation, most notably by Charles Kingsley who referred to the Irish as "White chimpanzees" after his stay in County Sligo
White earsNauruWhite people
White interloperWhite peopleRefers to a white person who becomes involved in a place or situation where they are not wanted or are considered not to belong.
White nigger, Nigger wopUnited StatesSouthern ItaliansFrom the 1800s, inferring such Italians were not "white" enough to be allowed citizenship.
White trashUnited StatesPoor white peopleCommon usage from the 1830s by black house slaves against white servants.
WhitexicanMexicoWhite MexicansA pejorative term used in Mexico to refer to white-skinned Mexicans who usually have social and economic advantages, and who allegedly "are not aware of the prevailing system of inequalities in Mexico and believe that all Mexican citizens have the same opportunities."
WhiteyWhite people
Wigger / Whigger / Wigga / Whigga United StatesIrish peopleUsed in 19th-century United States to refer to the Irish. Sometimes used today in reference to white people in a manner similar to white trash or redneck. Also refers to white youth that imitate urban black youth by means of clothing style, mannerisms, and slang speech. Also used by radical Québécois in self-reference, as in the seminal 1968 book White Niggers of America.
WogCommonwealthDark-skinned foreignersAny swarthy or dark-skinned foreigner. Possibly derived from "golliwogg." In Western nations, it usually refers to dark-skinned people from Asia or Africa, though some use the term to refer to anyone outside the borders of their own country.
WogAustraliaSouthern Europeans, MediterraneansUsually used to refer to Southern Europeans and Mediterraneans. It has become reappropriated by the cultures that it is commonly used to describe, but may be considered by some as controversial.
WopUnited States, Canada, United KingdomItalian peopleDerived from the Italian dialectism, "guappo", close to "dude, swaggerer" and other informal appellations, a greeting among male Neapolitans.

X

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
Xarnego / XarnecSpainNon-Catalan SpaniardsA Catalan term with a meaning that has varied over time, from the son of a Catalan person and a non-Catalan, especially a French one, to a Spanish-speaking person living in Catalonia, a Spanish-speaking immigrant in Catalonia or a person whose language is Spanish and who has not linguistically adapted to Catalan.
Xiǎo RìběnChinaJapanese peopleLiterally translated, it means "little Japan". It is often used with "guizi" or ghost/devil, such as "xiao Riben guizi", or "little Japanese devil".
Xing LingBrazilChinese peopleChinese products or low-quality products in general. Sometimes used to refer to Chinese people as well. Etymologically, this term is said to be derived from Mandarin 星零 xing ling.

Y

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
Yam yamUnited KingdomBlack Country residentsTerm used by people from Birmingham.
YanaconaChileMapuche peopleTerm used by modern Mapuche as an insult for Mapuches considered to be subservient to non-indigenous Chileans, "sellout." Use of the word "yanacona" to describe people have led legal action in Chile.
YaposhkaRussiaJapanese peopleDerived from "yaponets"
YellowAsian peopleAn East or southeast Asian person, in reference to those who have a yellowish skin color.
YellowMixed Ethnic peopleAnyone of mixed heritage, especially black or white people; a light-skinned black person, or a dark-skinned white person.
Yellow bone / High yellowUnited StatesA light-skin black person
Equivalent of yellow.
YidJewish peopleDerived from its use as an endonym among Yiddish-speaking Jews. In the United Kingdom, "yid" is also used to refer to supporters of the Tottenham Hotspur football club, whose fans refer to themselves and players as "yids", regardless of whether or not they are Jewish, as part of a reclamation attempt centered around the club's significant historic Jewish following. The latter sense is common and well-established enough to be found under the word's Oxford English Dictionary entry, though its use has become controversial and a matter of debate in the 21st century, with opinions from both Jews and non-Jews, Tottenham fans and non-fans, running the gamut.
YuonCambodiaVietnamese peopleThe Khmer word "yuon" or "youn" យួន /juən/ comes from the Chinese 越, in modern times pronounced "Yue". The same character is the root of the "Viet" in "Vietnam". During the Khmer Rouge era, a folk etymology was pushed that placed the term yuon as being descended from the Sanskrit "Yavana", which initially referred to the Ionians but later referred to Greeks in general and later foreigners. The folk etymology was used to push the narrative that Khmer and Kinh people have always been enemies.

Z

TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesReferences
Zanj, Zang, Zenj, Zinj, and ZangPersian and ArabicBlack peopleZanj Rebellion
Zip / ZipperheadUnited StatesAsian peopleUsed by American military personnel during the Korean War and Vietnam War. Also used in the films Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Romeo Must Die, Gran Torino, and Premium Rush.
Zuca / BrazucaPortugalBraziliansShort for Brazuca, derived from "Brasil", used by Portuguese people to refer to Brazilians living in Portugal.
Zhyd, zhid, zhydovka, zhidovkaEast Slavic language speakersJewish peopleOriginally neutral, but became pejorative as debate over the Jewish question and the antisemitism in the Russian Empire intensified in the end of the 19th century. While still in official use during the Ukrainian War of Independence and the short-lived Belarusian Democratic Republic, its use was banned by the Soviet authorities, which had previously been campaigning against its usage, in the 1930s. The usage of the word "żyd" in Polish depends on capitalisation and grammatical form: upper-case Żyd is neutral and denotes Jews in general or Jews as a nationality; the lower-case form denotes a follower of Judaism; both are neutral. Related terms are considered offensive: alternative plural "żydy" or diminutive "żydek".

Dictionaries


Ethnic Slurs
Category:Profanity
Ethnic slurs
Category:Lists of pejorative terms for people