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17 English Insults That Every ESL Student Needs to Learn Today

Whether you're just starting to learn English or already fluent, knowing the different types of English insults from America, Australia and UK is vital.

English insults are as diverse as the English language. With each English culture comes a completely different style and meaning of insults, swear words, and slang terms.

Whether you're just starting to learn English or looking to spice up your conversation skills, these English insults may be the missing puzzle. These can be used to joke around with your close friends and co workers, and it can be useful to just be aware of them in case someone else uses it on you.In this article, we've decided to divide our list into three categories:

  • American
  • Australian
  • British

Chances are, you're learning a specific type of English instead of all 3, and an American insult may not be recognized in Australia. Vice versa.

Hope you enjoy this extensive list of English insults and share it with a friend!
Note: This is a safe for work version of insults. If you want the non-censored version (NSFW), you can check out this article.

American English Insults

1. Damn

Damn is mostly used internally when you screw something up or miss an opportunity. Say you drop that last piece of pizza on the floor, or if you messed up something small at work. It's used for milder screw ups.

2. Sh*t

This is a slang term that is a slightly stronger version of damn. If you're into swear words or if you screw up in a bigger way, you can use this. Sh*t of course is a direct translation for poo (#2).

3. Son of a b*tch

You can use this insult towards someone when you're mad at them (or sometimes when you're joking) and you can also use it for yourself if you mess something up. It's quite the versatile phrase for just about any situation.

4. Piss off

Similar to saying 'get lost' when you don't want to be bothered with someone or if you're particularly feeling angry. It's effective if you want personal space.

5. Bastard

This can often be used towards someone that screws you over or makes you angry for doing something. It's a noun to describe someone else, not something you say internally. The literal translation for this is illegitimate child.

Australian English Insults

6. Bugger off

Another way to say 'get lost', which is also a British slang. It can also be expressed to say 'no way' or 'get out of here' to express how surprised you are about a situation or statement.

7. Strewth

This is similar to the way we say 'truth' to affirm something that someone said. It can also be used to describe your current state, say if you're feeling particularly hungover or tired. Strewth!

8. Wombat

This is a reference to the very slow, short-legged animal itself. You can call someone a wombat if they're particularly lazy, a couch potatoe, or a procrastinator in their regular life.

9. Root

A very informal way to say 'sex'.

10. Derro

Derro is an abbreviation for the word 'derelict.' Basically, it's used to describe someone who needs to get their situation together. Also used to refer to hobos or homeless people.

11. Bloody Oath

Want to show how surprised or excited you are about something? Or maybe you want to show your affirmation about a situation. This is it. It's similar to the way Americans say 'holy sh*t.'

British English Insults

12. Chuffer

This is a diverse one as chuffer could mean someone who is overweight, that borrows a lot of money, or someone who's generally not loyal. But the more common usage is to describe someone who talks the talk but can't walk the walk. A real bragger.

13. Twit

There's no direct definition or translation to the word 'twit', but it's used in the same way Americans use 'brat'. It can be recognized as an affectionate insult more than anything to describe someone who's behaving inappropriately.

14. Muppet

Another way to describe someone who has no sense of direction, hence 'muppet'. A common saying is, 'get out of the way you muppet!' It's also a way to describe someone who is very gullible and incapble of making their own personal decisions.

15. Chav

Be careful with this English insult as it has its deep historic origins. It was originally used to refer to Irish or Romanian gypsies, and it has today evolved to describe a 'poor' person dressing up with flashy jewelery.

16. Tosser

A milder version of wanker, which Americans often mistaken as much milder. To the British, it may be more offensive than you think, so use with caution.

17. Blighter

A blighter is used to describe someone who constantly messes things or situations up. When someone causes you inconvenience or pain in any way, you can call them a 'blighter.'

Here's a detailed video on British English insults to close off our article. We hope you enjoyed this extensive post, so go ahead and share it with a friend!

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