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, while others may be much more offensive. 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 notesAbbie, Abe, AbieUnited States, CanadaJewish menOriginated before the 1950s. From the proper name Abraham.ABCEast AsiaAmerican-born Chinese, Han or other Chinese (including Taiwanese) 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 reappropriated by many Chinese Americans and used to convey positive connotations.ABCDSouth Asians in the USAmerican-Born Confused Desi, Indian Americans 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. Now often used in a positive, reclaimed sense.Abid / Abeed (plural)Middle East and North AfricaBlack people Arabic word for slaveAbo / AbboAustraliaAustralian Aboriginal personOriginally, 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.Adoon / AdoneSomaliaSomali BantusSomali word for slaveAfrican (or Afro or colored) engineering or nigger riggingUnited 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 ; ; from "acchā" meaning "good" or "OK" in Hindi. Is less used in a derogatory fashion and more in a generalizing way in everyday conversation.Ah TiongSingaporeChinese peopleBorrowed from Hokkien 阿中 (a-tiong), where 中 (tiong) is a clipping of 中國 / 中国 (Tiong-kok, "China"). Initially used against mainland Chinese migrants and expatriates, its use as a slur has been broadened to include Chinese Singaporeans.Ali BabaUnited StatesIraqi peopleAn Iraqi suspected of criminal activity.Alligator bait, 'gator baitUnited States (chiefly southern U.S.)Black people, especially black childrenDates from early 20th century or before; implies that African Americans are good for nothing except being used to bait alligatorsAlpine Serbex-Yugoslav countriesSloveniansDue to Slovenia's Alpine nature or its proximity to Austria (an Alpine nation)."Kako naživcirati Europljane? Hrvate će naljutiti izjava da su južni Srbi, a Srbe da je Tesla Hrvat" AmaLawu, AmaQheyaSouth AfricaKhoisans and Cape Coloureds or ColouredsXhosa words for HottentotAmalek, 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 peopleApeUnited StatesBlack peopleReferring to outdated theories ascribing cultural differences between racial groups as being linked to their evolutionary distance from chimpanzees, with which all 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 Arabs From Turkish arap for "Arab" or, colloquially, "dark-skinned-person" / Araboosh / ()IsraelArabsArabs, derived from Hebrew "Aravi" (Arab).Argie / Argies (plural)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 "[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. ()IsraelAshkenazi JewsPronounced like "AshkeNatzi". 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 SallyUnited StatesBlack womenA black woman who "kisses up" to whites, a "sellout", female counterpart of Uncle Tom.
B
+ TermLocation or originTargetsMeaning, origin and notesBachichaChileItalian 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 (Indian caste).BalubaNorthern ItalySouthern Italians and AfricansMainly used in Lombardy region, it is derived from the name of the Luba people of Central Africa. It has been used as an insult meaning "savage" or "uncivilized". Sometimes the word Africa is used with the same meaning.BamboulaFranceBlack peopleBambusPolandBlack 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."Banaan etymology" Etymologeek, https://etymologeek.com/nld/banaan . Accessed 7 March 2023.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 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 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.Bangla, PanklaItalyBengalisInformal Italian slang, derived from Bangladesh, used for people of Bengali or South Asian origin and sometimes corner stores run by them. Can be offensive depending on context.BarbarianGreeceNon-Greek peopleSomeone 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.Barya / BareyaEthiopia, EritreaSub-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.Ba queVietnamVietnamese diaspora after the country's reunificationLiterally "three sticks", in reference to the flag of South Vietnam. The original meaning refers to a children trick game, later used by the communists and opponents of South Vietnam to condemn the latter as a corrupt and scheming regime.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.Bidde (m.)