The following is a list of ethnic slurs, ethnophaulisms, or ethnic epithets that are, or have been, used as or about members of a given Ethnic group, Nationality, or racial group or to refer to them in a derogatory, pejorative, or otherwise manner.
Some of the terms listed below can be used in casual speech without any intention of causing offense. Others can be considered so offensive that they can be reasonably expected to be met with violence by those they are directed at. 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 racism, 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.
Abbie, Abe, Abie | United States, Canada | Jewish men | Originated before the 1950s. From the proper name Abraham. | |
ABC | East Asia | American-born Chinese, Han Chinese or other Chinese people (including Taiwanese people) born and raised in the United States. | The term implies an otherness or lack of connection to their Chinese identity and (usually) Chinese language; however, it has been Reappropriation by many and used to convey positive connotations. | |
ABCD | South Asia in the United States | American-Born Confused Desi, or other South Asian Americans, (desi) who were born in the United States. | Used chiefly by South Asian immigrants to imply confusion about cultural identity | |
Abeed (plural) | Middle East and North Africa | Black people | Arabic word for slave | |
Abo/Abbo | Australia | Australian Aboriginal person | Originally, this was simply an informal term for Aborigine, and was in fact used by Aboriginal people themselves (such as in the Aboriginal-run newspaper Abo Call) 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. | |
Afro engineering, African engineering or nigger rigging | United States | African Americans | Shoddy, 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 Chah | Hong Kong | people | From ; cy=achā; from "acchā" meaning "good" or "OK" in Hindi. | |
Ali Baba | United States | Iraqi people people | An Iraqi people suspected of criminal activity. | |
Alligator bait, 'gator bait | United States (chiefly southern U.S.) | Black people, especially black children | Dates from early 20th century or before; implies that African Americans are good for nothing except being used to bait alligators | |
Alpine Serb | Serbo-Croatian: Alpski Srbin (ex-Yugoslavia) | People of Slovenians origin. | "Kako naživcirati Europljane? Hrvate će naljutiti izjava da su južni Srbi, a Srbe da je Tesla Hrvat" | |
AmaLawu, AmaQheya | South Africa | and Cape Coloureds or Coloureds | Xhosa language words for Hottentot | |
Ang mo | Malaysia, Singapore | European people, especially the Dutch | Hokkien 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. | (2025). 9781134992553, Routledge. ISBN 9781134992553 |
Ann | United States, Canada | White women, "white-acting" black women | While 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, mites | French, English | Vietnamese people | ||
Ape | United States | Black people | Referring to outdated theories ascribing cultural differences between racial groups as being linked to their evolutionary distance from chimpanzees, with which humans share common ancestry. | |
Apple | United States, Canada | Native Americans | First 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 () | Black people and Arabs | From the | (2014). 9788376560885 ISBN 9788376560885 | |
italic=no / italic=no (ערבוש) | Israel | Arabs | , derived from Hebrew "Aravi" (Arab). | |
Argie / Argies (plural) | United Kingdom | Argentines people | Extensively used by the British soldiers during the Falklands War in 1982. | |
Armo | United States | Armenians/Armenian American | Especially used in Southern California. | |
Asing, Aseng | Indonesia | Non-Indonesian people, especially Chinese people | Insult to non-Indonesian citizen, from "orang asing" (foreigner) that rhymed with "Aseng" (Chinese name). This word is often directed at Chinese people due to Indonesia's relationship with the PRC. | |
italic=no (אשכנאצי) | Israel | Ashkenazi Jews | Pronounced like "AshkeNa tzi". Used mostly by Mizrachi Jews. | "The Ashkenazi haters are an existential danger to the State of Israel", says Nathan Zehavi , Maariv website (in Hebrew) "The Language Front: 'You're a Nazi!'", by language expert Rubik Rosental , NRG website (in Hebrew) |
Aunt Jemima/Aunt Jane/Aunt Mary/Aunt Sally | United States | Black women | A black woman who "kisses up" to whites, a "sellout", female counterpart of Uncle Tom. |
Bachicha | Chile | Italian people | Possibly derived from the Italian word Baciccia, a nickname for Giambattista. | |
Baiano | Brazil | Northeastern Brazilian people | A 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. | |
Bamboula | France | Black people | ||
Bambus | Poland | Black people, sometimes Asian people | Literally it means bamboo in Polish but most probably it's derived from a popular children's poem Murzynek Bambo. | |
Suriname | Black people, people of African descent | Dutch language: 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 Coloureds people's skin colour. | "Banaan etymology"
![]() | |
Balija | Turkey, the Balkans | Bosnians people | An ethnic Bosniak or a member of the Bosnian diaspora. | |
Banana | United States, Canada | East 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. | |
Banderite | Poland | Ukrainians | The term Banderite was originally used to refer to the OUN-B, in reference to its leader Stepan Bandera. In Poland, the term "banderowiec" is used in connection with the 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 identity with Nazism. | |
Barbarian | Greece | Non-Greek people | Someone who is perceived to be either uncivilized or primitive. βάρβαρος ( barbaros pl. βάρβαροι barbaroi). In Ancient Greece, the Greeks used the term towards those who did not speak Greek and follow classical Greek customs. | |
Beaner / Beaney | United States | Hispanic people or Latino people people, especially Mexican people | The 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. | |
Bimbo | German language | Africans, people with very dark skin in general | The 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 / | Australia | Aboriginal Australians | "Binghi" was originally an aboriginal word for "brother". Later generalized to all Aboriginal Australians. | 9780908001064, Angus & Robertson. . ISBN 9780908001064 |
Black Buck, black brute, brown buck or brown brute | United States | Black men | Originating 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. | |
Blackie | English | Black person | ||
Blatte | Sweden | Foreigners with dark skin | ||
Bluegum | United States | African Americans | An African American perceived as being lazy and unwilling to work. | |
italic=no | France; United States; United Kingdom | Germans people | Shortened from the French term caboche dure, meaning "hard head" or "cabbage head" with the influence of German surname Bosch. | |
Boeotian | Athenians | Boeotian Greek people | Referring to the supposed stupidity of the inhabitants of the neighboring Boeotia region of Greece. | |
Boerehaat / Boer-hater / Boer hater | South Africa; United Kingdom | British people | Refers to a person who hates, prejudices, or criticizes the , or – historically applied to British people who held anti-Boers sentiments. | (2025). 9780628037695, Perskor. ISBN 9780628037695 |
Bog / Bogtrotter / Bog-trotter | United Kingdom, Ireland, United States | Irish people people | A person of common or low-class Irish ancestry. | |
Bogate | Chile | Yugoslav people | The expression is said to come from the Yugoslav interjection Boga ti! | |
United States, Canada | Bohemian people | A lower-class immigrant of Central Europe, Eastern Europe, or Southeastern European descent. Originally referred to those of (now Czech Republic) descent. It was commonly used toward Central European immigrants during the early 20th century. Probably from Bohemian + a distortion of Hungarian. See also Hunky Culture. | ||
Bolita | Argentina | Bolivians | ||
Bong | India | Bengali people | ||
Boong / Boang / Bong / Bung | Australia | Aboriginal Australians | First. Boong, pronounced with ʊ (like the vowel in bull), 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 Ab.". 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 Turrbal language which was used in the pidgin widely spoken across Australia in colonial times. | (1988). 9780195547368, Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195547368 Also here> |
Boonga / boong / bunga / boonie | New Zealand | Likely derived from the similar Australian slur | "boonga" (2025). 9780195584516, Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195584516 | |
Boinga / bhoinga | India, Myanmar, Bangladesh | Bengalis people | The word "Boinga" or "Bhoinga" comes from the Bengali language and is derived from the Pali language word "Bôṅgiya". It is used by the Assamese people, Burmese people, Chakma people, Rohingya people, Sylhetis, Rajbanshi people and Chittagonian people to refer to Bengalis. In the Chittagong and Cox's Bazar districts of Bangladesh, "Boinga" or "Bhoinga" is used to describe Bengalis who are perceived as outsiders, are not part of the local community and cannot speak Chittagonian. | |
Bootlip | United States | African American people | ||
italic=no | France | Arabian people | ||
Bounty bar | United Kingdom | Black people | A black person who is considered to be behaving like a white person (i.e. dark on the outside, white on the inside). | |
italic=no | Romania | Hungarian people | Used especially on ones born in Romania. Possibly derived from the Csangos dialect pronunciation of bocskor meaning Opanak, a type of rustic footwear. | |
United Kingdom and United States | Black People | Used to refer to the hair of a black person | ||
Brownie | United States, New Zealand, and Australia | Brown-skinned people, an Asian | Used in the 1850s–1960s; in Australia it was used for an Aboriginal Australian or someone Japanese; in New Zealand, a Māori | |
United States | Black people | The name of a black character that appeared in the Our Gang (Little Rascals) short films. Today it is used to refer to the curly hair of a black person. | ||
Buddhahead | United States | people | Also used by mainland Japanese Americans to refer to Hawaiian Japanese Americans since World War II. | |
Buckra, Bakra | United States, West Indies | White people from Sub-Saharan African languages | ||
Bulbash | Russia, Ukraine | Belarusians | Derived from Belarusian word "bulba" (potatoes), based on the fact that potatoes are a very common ingredient in Belarusian cuisine. | |
Bule | Indonesia | White people or foreigner | Derived from an archaic Indonesian word for Albinism. | |
Bumbay | Philippines | People from India | From Bombay | |
Burrhead / Burr-head / Burr head | United States | Black people | Referencing Afro-textured hair. | |
Bushy (s.) / Bushies, Amadushie (p.) | South Africa | Historically used against the Khoisan people in Southern Africa, referring to their nomadic and reliance on the bush for survival. |
Cabbage eater | Germans and Russians people | |||
Canaca | Chile | Chinese and Japanese people | Canaca is a slur originating in Oceania. | |
Camel jockey / camel dung-shoveler | Middle Eastern people | |||
Carcamano | Brazil | Italy people | Used during the early 20th century, during the Second wave of Italian immigration to Brazil. | |
Chakhchakh / Baboon | Israel | Mizrahi Jews | An Israeli derogatory nickname that was common in the 20th century. The term is probably based on the accent immigrants from Islamic countries spoke. | |
Bangladesh | Jumma, Chinese people and Burmese people people | The term "Chakma" comes from the name of an ethnic group known as Chakma people and is used to refer to people with Mongoloid features in Bangladesh, especially Chinese, Burmese and indigenous groups from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. | Deccan Herald, Why Are We Insulted Every Election? | |
Chankoro | Japan | Chinese people people | , a Japanese reference to a Chinese person. Often given as either derived from c=清國虜 () or c=中國人 () | |
Charlie | United States | Used in the 1960s–1970s. White people as a reified collective oppressor group, similar to The Man or The System. | ||
United States | Vietnamese people | Vietnam 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 (regular) North Vietnamese Army was referred to as "Mr. Charles". | ||
China Swede | United States | Finns | Derogatory term for Finnish immigrants to the United States, particularly in Minnesota and Michigan. | |
Chee-chee, Chi-chi | South Asia | Eurasian Mixed-race people, especially Anglo-Indians | Probably derived from Hindi chi-chi fie!, literally, dirt. | |
Cheese-eating surrender monkeys | United States | French people people | The term originated with a 1995 episode of The Simpsons. | |
Chefur (čefur) | Slovenia | Non-Slovenes people of former Yugoslavia (Serbs, Croats, Bosniaks, Montenegrins, Macedonians) | ||
Philippines | Chinese Filipino people | Used in Filipino/Tagalog language and other Philippine languages, which derived it from the late 19th century Cebuano language street children's limerick, , where "Intsik"/"Insik" is derived from the Philippine Hokkien term, p=, while "wakang"/"gwakang" is derived from the Philippine Hokkien term, p=, while "kaon"/"kaun" is from the Cebuano language term, , while "kalibang" is from the Cebuano language term, . | ||
Chernozhopy | Russia | Indigenous people from the Caucasus, e.g. from Chechnya or Azerbaijan. | , or chornaya zhopa, meaning "black-arse" in Russian. | |
Chilote | Argentina | Chilean people | ||
Chinaman | United States, Canada | Chinese people | A 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 chong | China, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines | Chinese people | Mocking the language of or a person of perceived Chinese descent. | |
Chink | China, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia,Philippines | East and South East Asians | ||
Chinky/Chinky Chonky | China, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia,Philippines | East and South East Asians. | ||
Chonky | Asian people | Refers to a person of Asian heritage with "white attributes", in either personality or appearance. | ||
Christ-killer | people | An allusion to Jewish deicide. | ||
Choc ice | Black people | A person who is figuratively "black on the outside, white on the inside". | Dilichi Onuzo (17 July 2012). "Is choc ice the new N-word?" . | |
Cholo | Latin America, Southwestern United States | Indigenous or Mestizo people | It may be derogatory depending on circumstances. | |
Chile | Bolivian people, Peruvian people | |||
Chon/Baka-Chon | Japan | Korean people | ||
Chow | Australia | Chinese people | Used as early as 1864, rare now | |
Chowmein | India | Chinese people, Northeast Indians | ||
() / Chechmek () | Russia / Russian-speaking regions | Middle / Central Asian people (in rare instances people from the Caucasus), in a broader sense Non-Russians, Non-European-looking people | From Chichimecas - 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. | |
Chug | Canada | Canadian aboriginal people | See Chugach for the native people. | |
(plural chukhoncy), chukhna | Russia | Finnic people | ||
() | Russia | Western and Central Asians | 1. Chock of wood 2. Ignorant person | |
Ciapaty, ciapak | Poland | Middle Eastern, North African, South Asian, and Caucasian people. | Derived from chapati. | |
Cigányforma | Hungary | Persons with the combination of black hair with brown eyes, regardless of ethnicity | Used in 17th century Hungary; literal meaning is "gypsy form" | Magyar etymologiai szótár: lexicon critico-etymologicum linguae Hungaricae, A Magyar Tudományos Akadémia megbizásából, Volumes 1–5, Page: 251 (1930) |
Cigány népek | Hungary | Ethnic groups or nations where the combination of black hair with brown eyes is dominant | Used in 17th century Hungary; literal meaning is "gypsy folks" | Magyar etymologiai szótár: lexicon critico-etymologicum linguae Hungaricae, A Magyar Tudományos Akadémia megbizásából, Volumes 1–5, Page: 252 (1930) |
Cioară | Romania | Romani people and Black people | Means crow | |
Cina / Cokin | Indonesia | Chinese people | Use in media has been banned since 2014 under Keppres ( Keputusan Presiden, lit. Presidential Decree) No. 12 of 2014, replaced by Tiongkok (from Zhongguo 中国) or Tionghoa (from Zhonghua 中华). The Keppres even bans use of "China" in media and formal use. | |
Coconut | United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia | Hispanics/Latinos, South/Southeast Asians | Named 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. | |
South Asians | A brown person of South Asian descent is perceived as fully assimilated into Western culture. | |||
Pacific Islander | ||||
Colono | Brazil (mainly Rio Grande do Sul) | Italian Brazilians and German Brazilians | Although 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 (mainly Caxias do Sul and Bento Gonçalves), 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. | |
Coño | Chile | Spanish people | Used in to refer to Spanish people given the perception that they recurrently use the vulgar interjection coño (). | |
Coolie | United States, Canada | Asian people people, usually Chinese people, and Indo-Caribbean people | Unskilled Asian laborer (originally used in the 19th century for Chinese railroad laborers). 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. | |
, cooney | United States, Commonwealth | Black people | Slur popularized by 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". | |
Australia | Aboriginal Australian | |||
New Zealand | Pacific Islander | |||
Coonass, Coon-ass | United States | Cajun people | Not to be confused with the French , meaning cunt. | |
Coreano | Chile | Chinese and Japanese people | ||
Cotton picker | United States | Individuals of African descent, including African-Americans and Cape Coloureds or Coloureds | Historically 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 Cape Coloureds. | |
Cracker | United States | White people, especially poor Appalachian and Southern people | Entered 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 cracker or . | Cash W. J. The Mind of the South (Knopf, 1941).Ste. Claire, Dana (2006). Cracker: Cracker Culture in Florida History. University Press of Florida. |
Crow | United States | Black people | ||
Crucco (m.), crucca (f.) | Italy | Germans people | The name was firstly given during the First World War to the troops of the Austro-Hungarian Army of Croatians and Slovenians ethnicity. Later the term was used to indicate the Germans. | |
Culchie | Ireland | Rural Irish people | Applied by townspeople or city folk as a condescending or pejorative reference to people from rural areas. | |
Curepí | Paraguay | Argentines | A common term used by people from Paraguay for people from Argentina, it means "pig's skin". | |
Curry-muncher | Australia, Africa, New Zealand, United States, Canada | South Asian People | ||
Cushi, Kushi (כושי) | Israel | Dark-skinned people | Term 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 (m.), czarnucha (f.) | Poland | Black people |
, Dego | United States, Commonwealth | Italians, Spaniards, Greeks, Portuguese or Maltese people; in the United States, primarily used for Italians and people of Italian descent | Possibly derived from the Spanish name "Diego" | Oxford Advanced Leaner's English–Chinese Dictionary (published in 1987), p. 292.It is used in the American film Valkyrie (2008) by the character Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel (portrayed by Kenneth Cranham) who says that some officer should "shoot that dago bastard" (meaning Italian dictator Benito Mussolini) |
Dal Khor | Pakistan | Indians and Pakistanis (specifically Punjabi people) | The term literally translates to "dal eater", connoting the supposedly higher emphasis on Legume and vegetables in the diet of countryside Punjabis. | |
Dalle, Batak Dalle | Indonesia | Batak | Bataks who cannot speak Batak languages or reject Batak culture. | |
darky / darkey / darkie | Worldwide | Black people | According to lexicographer Richard A. Spears, the word "darkie" used to be considered mild and polite, before it took on a derogatory and provocative meaning. | |
DEI / DEI hire / Diversity hire | United States | Women and people of color (especially Black people) | The term is sometimes used to imply that women, non-white people, and members of the LGBTQ community are inherently unqualified for positions of power, and that they can only get jobs through tokenism. | |
Dhoti | Nepal | Indian people or Madheshi people | As reference to their indigenous clothing Dhoti worn by people of Indian subcontinent. | |
Dink | United States | Southeast Asian, particularly Vietnamese people. | Origin: 1965–70, Americanism. Also used as a disparaging term for a North Vietnamese soldier or guerrilla in the Vietnam War. (Note: If rendered in All caps, then DINK may be the benign lifestyle acronym for DINK a) | |
Dogan, dogun | Canada | 19th century on; origin uncertain: perhaps from Dugan, an Irish surname. | "Dogan", Barber, Accessed. | |
Dothead, Dot | United States | Hindu women | In reference to the bindi. | |
Dune coon | United States | people | equivalent of sand nigger (below). See also Islamophobic trope. |
Eight ball, 8ball | Black people | Referring to the black ball in pool. Slang, usually used disparagingly. | ||
South Africa | White South Africans of British people descent whose first language is English language | Afrikaans: Englishman. A derogatory term used to refer to white South Africans of British people descent whose first language is English language. This is due to History and Culture tensions between English-speaking and Afrikaans-speaking white South Africans, which were fueled by British Empire 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. | Bownes, Glenn "The Calatas, Cradock... and a Crime Against Humanity."
![]() | |
Eyetie | United States, United Kingdom | Italians people | Originated through the mispronunciation of "Italian" as "Eye-talian". Slang usually used disparagingly (especially during World War II). |
Fankui, fan-kui, fangui, gui-zi, guizi, gui | Chiefly Southeast Asia | Non-Chinese native people of Southeast Asia | These words (and any variations of it) are extremely derogatory, since it means anyone other than Chinese have terrible attitude and uncivilised idiots. (Gui or Guizi itself means demon) | (2025). 9780230286771, Palgrave Macmillan UK. ISBN 9780230286771 |
Fresh off the boat, off the boat | Asian Americans or immigrants in general | Referring 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 nok | Thailand | Poor white people | Is slang commonly used as an insult to a person of white race, equivalent to white trash, as khi means feces and nok means bird, referring to the white color of bird-droppings. | |
Fenian | Northern Ireland, Scotland | Irish Catholics | Derived from the Fenian Brotherhood. | |
Festival children () | USSR (from late 1950s) | Children of mixed ancestry, usually with a father who is black people or (more rarely) other non-European origins | It 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 (verlan for juif) | France | Jewish people | ||
Fidschi(de) | East Germany | East or Southeast Asian people, particularly Vietnamese people | German for Fiji, used to refer to anyone who looks East or Southeast Asian, particularly those of Vietnamese origin. | |
Fjellabe | Denmark | Norwegians people | Means mountain ape. Jocularly used by Danes mostly in sports. From the 1950s. Norway is mountainous while Denmark is flat without mountains. | |
Flip | United States | Filipino people | ||
Franchute | Chile, Argentina | French people | ||
Frenk | Ashkenazi Jews | Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews | Derived from Franks (as a reference to Western Europeans), due to the fact Sephardi Jews are Judaeo-Spanish speakers. | |
Fritz, , , , | United Kingdom, France, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Latvia | German people | from Friedrich (Frederick). | Grand Dictionnaire (Larousse: 1993) p. 397; Polish Language Dictionary: |
, Froggy, Frogeater, Froschfresser | Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, United States, Germany | Dutch people people (formerly) French people and French Canadian people (currently) | Before the 19th century, referred to the Dutch people (as they were stereotyped as being marsh-dwellers). 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 (see comparable French term ). Also known in Slavic countries, but only towards the (mainland) French, see Polish żabojad, Ukrainian zhaboyid (жабоїд), Russian lyagushatnik (лягушатник); as well as in Basque frantximant. | |
Fuzzy-Wuzzy | United Kingdom | Hadendoa people | Term 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. |
Gabacho | Spain, Chile | French people | From Occitan language gavach meaning "one who speaks wrong." | |
Mexico | American people, French people | Neutral or pejorative depending on context. | ||
Gabel | Albania, Kosovo | Romani people | Expression of disdain for someone, with the setting "Maxhup" | |
Gadjo | Non-Romani people people | Technically 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 (外人) | Japan | Foreigners, espesically those of non-East Asian origin | ||
Galla | Ethiopia | Oromo people or others in Ethiopia and Somalia | Used since 1670 | |
Gam, Gammat | South Africa | Cape Coloureds or Cape Coloured people | It means "a person who is low or of inferior status" in Afrikaans. | |
Gans (Ганс) | USSR | German people, or more uncommonly Latvian people | The term originated among the Red Army in World War II, coming from Russified form of the German first name Hans. | |
Garoi | Romania | Romani people | It means crow. | |
Geomdung-i (검둥이) | South Korea | Black people | Korean language for coon | |
Gexhë | Kosovo | Serbs of Šumadija | Derogatory expression for the Serbs of southern Serbia, of Šumadija. | |
Ghati | India | Maharashtrians | Ethnic slur for Maharashtrians living in Western Ghats | |
Gin | Australia | Aboriginal woman | ||
Gin jockey | Australia | White people | A white person having casual sex with an Aboriginal woman. | |
Godon | France | English people | An antiquated pejorative expression. Possibly a corruption of "God-damn". | |
Golliwog | United States, Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand | Darkskinned people, especially African-Caribbeans | An 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, Gooky | United States | East and Southeast Asians, but particularly Koreans | The 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. | Seligman, Herbert J., "The Conquest of Haiti", The Nation, 10 July 1920. |
Goombah | United States | Italian people, Italian-Americans | Initially 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 Italy word cumpa or cumpari and the Standard Italian equivalent, compare, meaning "godfather" or "partner-in-crime". | |
Gora | South Asia | White people | From the Hindi gorā, meaning "fair, white". | |
Goy, Goyim, Goyum | Hebrew | Non-Jewish people | A Hebrew Bible term for "Nation" or "People". By Roman empire 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 (shrimp) | , Kristang people | A term for , 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, Greaser | United States | Mediterranean/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 . However, greaseball (and to a lesser extent, greaser) 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. | |
Greenhorn | United States, New England region, especially Massachusetts. | Portuguese people | Can also be used in a non-derogatory context when not referring to the Portuguese to mean anyone inexperienced at something. | |
Gringo | Spanish speakers, mostly Latin America | English speakers | Sometimes used by Latino Americans. In Mexico, the term means an United States. Likely from the Spanish word "griego", meaning Greeks (similar to the English expression "It's all Greek to me"). | Que es "gringo" – Significado de "gringo" – que-significa.com (Spanish) |
Brazil | Foreigners | A colloquial neutral term for any foreigner, regardless of race, ethnicity or origin (including Portuguese people), or for a person whose native language is not Portuguese (including people whose native language is Spanish). | ||
Southern Brazil | Italian descendants | A colloquial neutral term for Italian descendants of southern Brazil, specially in Rio Grande do Sul | ||
Groid | United States | Black people | Derived from "negroid". | |
Gub, Gubba | Australia | White people | Aboriginal term for white people | "Mr Gub ... the white man. The word is the diminutive of garbage." |
Guiri | Spain | Foreigners | Originally described the supporters of Queen Maria Christina. Now describes White Northern Europeans. | |
Guizi (鬼子) | Mainland China | Non-Chinese | Basically the same meaning as the term gweilo used in Hong Kong. More often used when referring foreigners as military enemies, such as riben guizi (日本鬼子, Japanese devils, because of Second Sino-Japanese War), meiguo guizi (美国鬼子, American devils, because of Korean War). | |
Guido, Guidette | United States | Derives from the Italians given name, Guido. Guidette is the female counterpart. Used mostly in the Northeastern United States as a stereotype for working-class urban Italian Americans. | Caryn Brooks, "Italian Americans and the G Word: Embrace or Reject?" , Time, 12 December 2009. | |
Guinea, Ginzo | Italians people | Most 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. | ||
Gummihals | Switzerland | German people | Literally "rubber neck" | |
Gusano | Cuba | Cuban exiles after the revolution | Literally "worm" | |
Gweilo, gwailo, kwai lo (鬼佬) | Southern Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau | White men | Loosely 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 (i.e. a fellow, a chap, or a bloke). Once a mark of xenophobia, the word is now in general, informal use. | |
Gyp/Gip | Romani people | Shortened version of "gypsy" | ||
Gypsy, Gyppo, gippo, gypo, gyppie, gyppy, gipp | United Kingdom, Australia | Egyptian people and Romani people | Derived from "Egyptian", Egypt being mistakenly considered these people's origin. |
Hairyback | South Africa | |||
Hajji, Hadji, Haji | United States Military | Iraqis | May 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 (pilgrimage to Mecca). | |
Half-breed | Multi-ethnic people | Métis is a French language term, also used in Canadian English, for a half-breed, and mestizo is the equivalent in Spanish language, although these are not offensive per se. | ||
Half-caste | England, Australia | Mixed race (usually between Australian Aboriginal and white people in Australian parlance) | Originally used as a legal and social term. | |
Haole | United States, Hawaiian | Non-Hawaiian people, almost always white people. | Can be used neutrally, dependent on context. | |
Heeb, Hebe | United States | people | Derived from the word "Hebrews." | |
(黑鬼) | China, Taiwan | Black people | Literally means "black ghost" or "black devil", used similarly to English phrases such as nigga or nigger. | |
Heukhyeong (흑형) | South Korea | Black people | Korean language: Black brother. A Korean ethnic slur sometimes for black people. | |
Hevosmies | Finland | Romani people | From hevos- + mies, referring to Gypsy horsemanship. | |
Hike | United States | Italians immigrants | Sometimes used with or to distinguish from "Hunk" ("Hunky"). | |
Hillbilly | United States | or Ozark Americans | ||
Honky, honkey, honkie | United States | White people | Derived from an African American pronunciation of "Hunky Culture," 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. | Fuller A. Scribbling the Cat: travels with an African soldier (Penguin books, 2004). |
New Zealand | European New Zealanders | Used by Māori to refer to New Zealanders of European descent. | ||
Hori | New Zealand | Māori | From the formerly common Maorified version of the English name George. | |
Hottentot, Hotnot | South Africa | and Cape Coloureds or Coloureds | A 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. | |
Houtkop | South Africa | Black people | Literally "wooden head" | |
Huan-a | Taiwan and Southeast Asia | Non-Chinese native people | This 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 (e.g., Javanese people, Sundanese people, Batak people, and Buginese people). | |
Huinca | Argentina, Chile | Non-Mapuche Chileans, non-Mapuche Argentines | Mapuche language term dating back at least to the Conquest of Chile. | |
(хужаа) | Mongolia | Chinese people | Equivalent to the word chink. | (2025). 9780824847838, University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 9780824847838 |
Hun | United States, United Kingdom | German people | (United States, United Kingdom) 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" (i.e., savage and ruthless) to their Chinese enemy. | |
Ireland | and British people soldiers | A Protestant in Northern Ireland or historically, a member of the British military in Ireland ("Britannia's huns"). | ||
Hunky Culture, Hunk | United States | laborers | It originated in the coal regions of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, where Poles and other immigrants from Central Europe (Hungarians (Magyar), Rusyns, Slovaks) came to perform hard manual labor in the mines. | |
Hurri | Finland | Swedish-speaking population of Finland, Swedish people | Initially used as a derogatory term for the Swedish-speaking minority of Finland, sometimes used as a slur for any Swedish speaker | |
Hymie | United States | Jewish people | Derived from the personal name Hyman (from the Hebrew name Haim). 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. |
Ikey / ike / iky: a Jew from | Jewish people | Derived from the name Isaac, an important figure in Jewish culture. | ||
Ikey-mo / ikeymo | Jewish people | Derived from the names Isaac and Moses, two important figures in Jewish culture. | ||
Indon | Malaysia, Singapore | Indonesian people | Clipping of Indonesia. | |
Indognesial / Indonesial | Malaysia | Indonesian people | Which similar to "Indon" term mixed with "Dog" and "Sial" (Malay language word for "Damn"). | |
Sangley | Philippines | Chinese Filipino people | Used in Filipino/Tagalog language and other Philippine languages. Based on the Philippine Hokkien term, p=. | |
Inyenzi | Rwanda | Tutsi people | A 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. | An Ordinary Man (2006), Paul Rusesabagina |
Injun | United States | Native Americans | Corruption of "Indian" | |
Inselaffe | Germany | English people, British people in general | Translates to "Island monkey" | |
Bangladesh | People from the Greater Cumilla region (Comilla District, Brahmanbaria and Chandpur) | The term "ITOR" borrowed from the English acronym for "Information Technology Organiser" was a title given by the British people to people from the Tipperah district (now the districts of Cumilla, Brahmanbaria and Chandpur) 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. | ||
Itaker | Germany | Italian people | Formerly used as a nickname for Italian soldiers and the since the 1960s as a slur for Italian immigrants. |
Jackeen | Ireland | Dublin people | Believed 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 Gaels 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. | |
Jakun people | Malaysia | Unsophisticated people, from the Malay name of an indigenous ethnic group. | ||
Jamet, Jamet kuproy | Indonesia | Javanese people | Jamet stands for Jawa metal (a metalhead Javanese), while kuproy stands for kuli proyek (construction workers). | |
Japa | Brazil | Japanese people | Usually an affectionate way of referring to Japanese people (or, more generally, East Asian people), although it may be considered a slur. This term is never censored (as a slur typically would be) when it appears in mass media. | |
Jap | United States | Japanese people | Mostly found use during World War II, post-WWII. | |
Jewish women | Usually written in all capital letters as an acronym for "Jewish-American princess," a stereotype of Jewish American women as materialistic or pampered. | |||
Japie, yarpie | White, rural South Africans | Derived from plaasjapie, "farm boy". | ||
Jawir | Indonesia | Javanese people, especially Javanese people with darker skin | Comes from the words "Javanese people" and "Ireng" from a Javanese word means black | |
Jerry | Commonwealth | German people, especially soldiers | Probably an alteration of "German". Origin of Jerry can. Used especially during World War I and World War II. | |
Jewboy | United States, United Kingdom | Jewish boys | Originally directed at young Jewish boys who sold counterfeit coins in 18th century London. | |
Jidan | Romania | Jewish person. | ||
, jiggerboo, niggerboo, jiggabo, jigarooni, jijjiboo, zigabo, jig, jigg, jigger | United States | Black people with stereotypical black features (e.g., dark skin, wide nose, and big lips). | From a Bantu languages verb tshikabo, meaning "they bow the head docilely," indicating meek or servile individuals. | |
Jim Crow | United States | Black people | ||
Korea | Chinese people | |||
Jjokbari | Korea | Japanese people | ||
Jock, jocky, jockie | United Kingdom | Scottish people | Scots 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 (Scottish) 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" (Scotland) as terms of insult; the book was based on the author's own experience as a Scot living in London. | |
Jungle bunny | United States, Commonwealth | Black people | ||
Jutku, jutsku | Finland | Jews people |
Kaew (แกว) | Isan language | Vietnamese people | ||
Kaffir, kaffer, kaffir, kafir, kaffre, kuffar | Arabian Peninsula, Muslims | Non-Muslims (regardless of race). | Also caffer or caffre. from Arabic kafir meaning "disbeliever". | |
South Africa | Black and Cape Coloured or Cape Coloured people | |||
Kaffir boetie | South Africa | Black and Cape Coloured sympathizers during apartheid | Meaning "Kaffir brothers", it is analogous to "negro lover" in English. The term is outdated and no longer used. | |
, | Bangladesh, India, Pakistan | Bangladeshis | A portmanteu of the words kaṅgāl (meaning poor, broke, pauper) and Bangladeshi. It is used to refer to Bangladeshis, associating them with poverty or immigration issues. | |
Myanmar | Muslim citizens who are "black-skinned", Bengalis, Rohingya people or any South Asian Muslim or Hindus or "undesirable aliens." | The word "Kalar" is derived from the Burmese word "ကုလား" (ku.la:). 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 (especially Bengalis or Rohingyas) or dark-skinned Muslims and Hindus. | ||
Kalbit | Russian language | Central Asians | ||
Kalia, Kalu, Kallu | Hindi | Darkskinned | Literally means "blackie", generally used for black-skinned or dark-skinned Muslims in India. Can also have a racist overtone when referring to Africans. | |
Katwa, Katwe | Hindi | Muslim males | Word used to describe Muslim males for having a Circumcision penis as mentioned in the Khitan of Islam. | |
Kanaka | Australia | Pacific Islanders | Macquarie Dictionary (Fourth Edition), 2005, p. 774 | |
Kanake | German language | Turkish people, foreigners in general | Originally used to refer to Native Polynesians. To some extent re-appropriated. | (2025). 9789027267368, John Benjamins Publishing Company. ISBN 9789027267368 |
Philippines | White Americans | Usually used in Filipino (Tagalog language) or other Philippine languages. Shortened from the Filipino word "". It usually refers to Americans, especially a stereotypical male White Americans, 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, Kawish | Canadian French | Native Americans | ||
Käskopp | Germany | Dutch people | Middle German slur that translates to "cheese head". | |
Katsap, kacap, kacapas | Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, Russia | Russians people | , ; self-deprecating usage by Russians. | |
Kebab | Muslims, usually of Arabian,Turkic peoples or Iranian peoples descent. | Its origin is a Serbia Strong 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 | Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore | Indian people | In 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 region of Kalinga, where many immigrants to countries further east originated. | |
Ke-mo sah-bee | United States | Native Americans | The 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 (毛唐) | Japan | Westerners | Literally means "foreigners full of body hair". Alternative form: (毛唐人) | (2025). 9784000600507, 岩波書店. ISBN 9784000600507 |
Khach (), Khachik () | Russia | Peoples of the Caucasus, particularly North Caucasus and Armenians | From Armenian խաչ khach, meaning cross (cf. khachkar). Khatchik is also an Armenian given name coming from the same root. | |
Kharadim | Israel | Haredi Judaism | Blend word of khara (shit in Hebrew) + Haredi | |
Kharkhuwa | India | Assamese people | ||
Khokhol () | Russia, Poland | Ukrainian people | Derived from a term for a traditional Cossack-style haircut. | |
Vietnam | Chinese people | Variant form of "Tàu khựa" | ||
Ikula (s.) / Amakula (p.) | South Africa | A person or people heritage. | ||
Kike | United States | Jews | Possibly from קײַקל kikel, Yiddish for "circle". Immigrant Jews who could not read English often signed legal documents with an "O" (similar to an "X", to which Jews objected because "X" also symbolizes a cross). Also known by the euphemism "K-word". | |
Koreans people | ||||
Turkey | Kurdish men | A word used to describe rude and hairy men, pejoratively refers to the Kurds. | ||
Kitayoza китаёза | Russia | East Asian people, especially the Chinese. | Derived from "kitayets". (Cyrillic: ) | |
Knacker | Ireland | |||
(코쟁이) | South Korea | Westerners | From 코 ("nose") and -쟁이 (derogatory suffix), prevalently used during the 19th and 20th centuries to refer to white people foreigners | |
Kolorad | Ukraine | Pro-Russian separatists and Russian invaders | In reference to Russian St. George ribbon whose coloration resembles the stripes of the Colorado beetle. | |
The Krankies | England | Scottish people | ||
Krakkemut | Denmark | Arabs, Middle Easterns | While 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. | |
Kraut | United States, Canada, Commonwealth | German people | Derived from sauerkraut, used most specifically during World War II. | |
Kūpapa Māori | New Zealand | Māori people | Term used to describe Māori people who cooperate with or who are subservient to white authority figures (similar to "Uncle Tom" qv). From historical Māori troops who sided with the colonial government in the 19th century. | |
Kuronbō (黒ん坊) | Japan | Black people | A 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. | |
Kkamdungi (깜둥이) | South Korea | Black people | Korean language for nigga or nigger.
![]() |
Labus | Russia | Latvians and Lithuanians | Derived from greetings: Latvian labrīt/labdien/labvakar and Lithuanian labas rytas/laba diena/labas vakaras, meaning "good morning/day/evening". | "Алина Орлова: «Я не знаю, кто я»" Alina Orlova: "I don't know who I am", an interview, 9 September 2010 Лабус - определение [Labus — definition]. (in Russian). |
Land thief | South Africa | White South Africans | The 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. | |
Laomaozi (老毛子) | China | Russian people | Popularized from Northeastern China | |
Lapp | Scandinavia | Sámi people | Used 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, Leb | Australia | A Lebanese people person, usually a Lebanese Australian. | ||
Leupe lonko | Chile | German people | Used by some Huilliche people of Zona Sur. 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. | |
Limey | United States | British people | Comes from the historical British naval practice of giving sailors limes to stave off scurvy. | |
Locust (蝗蟲) | Hong Kong | Mainland Chinese people | ||
Londo | Indonesia | White people | Commonly used by Javanese people. Derived from "Belanda" (Netherlands). | |
Lubra | Likely derived from a Tasmanian Aboriginal language. | Australian Aboriginal Women | Macquarie Dictionary, Fourth Edition (2004), p. 850. | |
Lundy | Northern Ireland | Irish People | A 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. | |
Lugan | Lithuanian people | |||
Lach/lyakh () | Ukraine, Russia | Polish people | Lach 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. | Maria Tkachivska (2025). 9789662337891, Mykhailo Kotsiubynskyi State University. . ISBN 9789662337891 |
Mabuno/Mahbuno | Zimbabwe | Local European people held in contempt, commonly white Africans of European ancestry. | ||
Macaca | Europe | African people | Originally used by francophone colonists in North Africa, also used in Europe against Immigrants from Africa. | |
Macaronar | Romania | Italian people | Roughly means "macaroni eater/maker". | |
Madrasi | Northern India | South Indian people | Originally 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 (مجوس) | Arab world | Persian people | A term meaning Zoroastrian, Magi, . | |
Malakh-khor (ملخ خور) | Iran | Arab people | Meaning "locust eater," referring to the Edible locusts. | |
Malau | South Africa | and Cape Coloureds or Coloureds | A derogatory Afrikaans slang word derived from Xhosa language, used to insult Coloureds people and 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". | |
Malaun | Bangladesh | Hindus | "Malaun" is derived from Bengali মালাউন (maalaaun), which in turn was derived from Arabic "ملعون" (mal'un), which means "cursed" or deprived of God's mercy. | |
Malingsia / Malingsial / Malingsialan | Indonesia | Malaysian people | Used in Indonesia, derived from "maling" (Javanese for "thief") and "Malaysia". It often arises due to perceived instances of Malaysia claiming aspects of Indonesian culture | |
Malon | Indonesia | Malaysian people | Used as the reply to Indon word. Malon is (mostly) a short for "Malaysia Bloon" (dumb Malaysians). | |
Mangal / Mango / Mangasar / Mangusta | Bulgaria | Romani people | From Bulgarian "мангал" (mangal) – a type of pot. Some variants are derived from the similar-sounding loanwords "манго" (mango) – mango and "мангуста" (mangusta) – mongoose. | |
Manne | Finland | Romani people men | Possibly from Swedish language man or from the name Herman. It refers to Romani men, however can also refer to Romani people generally. | |
italic=no (מרוקקי) | Israel | Moroccan Jewish people | Derived from "Maroko" (Hebrew pronunciation for "Morocco") + "Kaki" (which means "shit", "crap" in Hebrew slang). | "The Baboons are celebrating", an article discussing about the hatred for Moroccan Jews in Israel (In Hebrew) |
(丸太/マルタ) | Japan | Chinese people | Originally a term used by Unit 731 referring to its human test subjects, Nowadays used by Netto-uyoku sometimes. | |
Mau-Mau | United States | Black people | derived from of the Kikuyu people involved in the Mau Mau Rebellion in the 1950s. | |
Mayate/Mayatero | Black people | Literally the Spanish colloquial name of the Figeater beetle. | ||
Mayonnaise Monkey | United States | White people | A term commonly used by black people. A person with a "mayonnaise"-like complexion. | |
Irish people | ||||
Milogorac | Serbia | Montenegrins | Deriving from Milo Đukanović (former president of Montenegro), used to refer to Montenegrin nationalists/Montenegrins who don't identify as Serbs. | |
Mocro | Dutch | Dutch-Moroccan people | ||
Mohamedaner | Denmark | Person adherent to Islam | Derived from Muhammad. | |
Mof (singular) Moffen (plural) | Dutch | German people | ||
Momo/Momos | India | Northeast Indians and Nepali people | Based on momos, a dumpling made by northeast Indians, Nepalese and Tibetans. | |
Monkey | Europe | Usually people of African, Melanesian, or Indigenous Australian descent. | A universal slur, meaning it has the same meaning in different languages. | |
Moskal, , , , | Ukraine, Belarus, Poland | Russians | Historically a neutral designation for a person from Muscovy, currently refers to Russians. | |
United States | Black people | The origin is obscure. May refer to slaves singing at night as crickets chirp at dusk. | ||
Mountain Turk | Turkey | Kurdish people | Former Turkish governments denied the Kurds their own ethnicity, calling them Mountain Turks ( dağ Türkleri). | |
Muklo | Philippines | Filipino Muslims, notably among Bangsamoro ethnic groups | First used by soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines stationed in Mindanao as an ethnic slur towards the Muslim Moro insurgents. | (2025). 9789814585989, Springer. ISBN 9789814585989 |
Mulignan/Mulignon/Moolinyan | United States | Black people | Used by Italian-Americans. Deriving from "mulignana" the word for eggplant in some South Italian linguistic variants. Also called a mouli. | "Se infatti gli italiani chiamano i neri 'mulignan', accomunandoli appunto alle 'melanzane' per il colore della pelle, sono essi stessi definiti storicamente come 'guinea'", Simona Cappellari, Giorgio Colombo Fiorini, Letteratura italoamericana, 2008, p. 79.Richard Greene, Peter Vernezze, The Sopranos and Philosophy: I Kill Therefore I Am, Open Court Publishing, 2004, p. 162. |
Rhodesia, originally military | Black people, usually men | (2025). 9781770071124, Zebra. ISBN 9781770071124 | ||
Mustalainen | Finland | Romani people | Literally "blackling," "blackie," "the black people", when "romani" is the neutral term. | (2025). 9789525446111, Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus ja Kielikone Oy. ISBN 9789525446111 |
Maxhup | Kosovo | Romani people | Expression of contempt for someone, usually Romani people. | |
Mzungu | Eastern and Southern Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo | White people | May be both pejorative and affectionate, depending on usage. |
Namak Haram | Pakistan | Afghans in Pakistan | Derogatory term used for Afghan refugees in Pakistan translating to “traitors”. | |
Nawar | Levant | Romani people | Arab term for Romani people and other groups sharing an itinerant lifestyle. | |
Neftenya / Neftegna / Naftenya / Naftegna | Ethiopia/Amharic language | Amhara people | Literally means "rifle-bearer", relates to 19th century Ethiopian history. Since 1975, used as inflammatory term by Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF, governing party) officials against Amharas; continued inflammatory/derogatory usage in 2020 online media two years after EPRDF loss of political power. | |
Němčour, nimchura (німчура), nemchura (немчура) | Slavic languages | German people | ||
Nere | Hindus | Muslims | ||
Niakoué | France | East or Southeast Asian people | A corrupted Vietnamese word with similar to "yokel", "country bumpkin", etc. | |
Niglet / Negrito | Black children | |||
, nog, or Nignog | Commonwealth | Black people | Originally used to refer to a novice – a foolish or naive person – before being associated with black people. | |
Nigger / neeger (Estonian) / neekeri (Finnish) / niger / nig / nigor / nigra / nigre (Caribbean) / nigar / niggur / nigga / niggah / niggar / nigguh / niggress / nigette / negro / neger (Dutch & Afrikaans) / nig | International/Worldwide | Black people, especially African-Americans | From the Spanish language and Portuguese word ("black"), 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 or my in Argentina, or describing someone to be 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 "Nigga" can be found in the language as an anglicism, with identical connotations as the English term. | |
Niggeritis / Negroitis | Caribbean | Black people | To 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. | |
Nip | United States, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom | Japanese people | Someone of Japanese descent (shortened version of Nipponese, from Japanese name for Japan, Nippon). | |
Nitchie / neche / neechee / neejee / nichi / nichiwa / nidge / nitchee / nitchy | Canada | Native Canadians | A Native American (from the Algonquian word for "friend"). | |
Non-Pri, Non-Pribumi | Indonesia | Indonesians of foreign descent, especially Chinese Indonesians | The term pribumi was coined after Indonesian independence to replace the derogatory Dutch term Inlander ("native"). "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 ( Instruksi Presiden, lit. Presidential Instruction) No. 26 of 1998, along with instruction to stop discrimination by race in government. | |
Northern Monkey | United Kingdom | Northern English people | Used 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". | |
Nusayri | Syria and the Levant | Members 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. |
Ofay | African American Vernacular | White people | First recorded in the late 19th century. Origin unknown. Suggestions include Yoruba language ófé, "to disappear"; pig Latin for "foe"; and French au fait, "socially proper". | |
Oláh | Hungarian-speaking territories | Romanian people | Evolved to a pejorative term, originates from the historical designation of Romanians earlier the 19th century. | |
Orc | Ukraine | Russian soldiers | Orc (Cyrillic: орк, Romanization: ork), plural orcs (Russian language and , Russian romanisation: orki, Ukrainian: orky), is a pejorative used by Ukrainians to refer to an invading Russian soldier during the Russo-Ukrainian War. It comes from the name of orc from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. | |
Oreo | United States | Black people | Used 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 Dodger | Jewish people | Implying that one or one's ancestors avoided dying in the Holocaust and so avoid the crematorium ovens. | ||
Overner | United Kingdom, Isle of Wight | Mainland United Kingdom Residents | A term used by residents of the Isle of Wight, sometimes pejoratively, to refer to people from the mainland United Kingdom. |
|
|