asshole
asshole Lexical Profile
asshole Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American (vulgar, slang, derogatory) An irritating, obnoxious, arrogant, or contemptible person.
"The driver who cut across three lanes of traffic without signaling was acting like a complete asshole."
North American (vulgar, slang) The anus.
"The patient used crude slang rather than clinical terminology when describing the pain to the physician."
North American (vulgar, slang) The most wretched, undesirable, or desolate part of a place or region.
"After spending six months stationed at a remote outpost in the middle of the desert, the crew referred to the base as the asshole of nowhere."
Word Nuance & Usage
Primarily used in North American English (corresponding to 'arsehole' in British and Commonwealth English), this term is considered vulgar and taboo in formal or polite settings.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Attested from the 14th century in Middle English as 'ershole' or 'arsehole' (combining Old English 'ears' and 'hol'), with the r-less pronunciation and spelling 'asshole' becoming standard in North American English by the 19th and 20th centuries.