Meaning & use
asshole
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Meanings
nouncountablevulgaroffensivedisapproving
A very rude, insulting term for a person seen as cruel, selfish or inconsiderate.
Grammar: Directed at people, it is strong abuse; not suitable in polite or professional settings.
Patterns
- call someone an asshole
- act like an asshole
Calling a colleague an asshole in a meeting could get you disciplined.
The word asshole is bleeped on most television channels.
Parents often tell children that asshole is not an acceptable word.
nouncountablevulgartaboo
The anus, in a crude and vulgar way.
Grammar: Anatomical sense is now rare; doctors use anus.
The writer used asshole in its crude literal sense, which a medical text would avoid.
Dictionaries mark asshole as vulgar in both senses.
Editors replace asshole with a milder word in family-friendly publications.
Word forms
| plural | assholes |
|---|
Common combinations
- call someone an asshole
- Calling a referee an asshole can lead to a ban from the game.
- total asshole
- Describing him as a total asshole shows how strongly the speaker feels.
- asshole behavior
- Workplaces often have rules against asshole behavior.
- act like an asshole
- Teachers say that acting like an asshole will not win friends.
Synonyms and how they differ
- jerk
- Jerk is much milder and acceptable in casual speech.
- creep
- Creep suggests someone unsettling or sly rather than just unkind.
- scoundrel
- Scoundrel is old-fashioned and humorous, not coarse.
Opposites
Word family
- arsehole noun
- the British spelling
- asshat noun
- a slang insult, similar but less coarse
Practice
Which choice is the most appropriate in a formal workplace email about a difficult client?
Choose one answer.
Unreasonable is polite and factual. The other options use the vulgar insult asshole.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “asshole”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.