Word
bruh
Definitions
01disbelief or annoyance
interj. you say this when someone does something stupid or when you are very surprised by a bad situation.
interj. an utterance used to express exasperation, incredulity, or disappointment at a peer's actions or a specific situation.
“Bruh, you really forgot your keys in the car again?”
“Bruh, I cannot believe the professor assigned a ten-page paper over the holiday weekend without any prior warning.”
Slang · Informal
Usage
Typically used as a standalone exclamation or at the beginning of a sentence.
Teaching tip
While originally masculine, it is now often used gender-neutrally among younger speakers, though it remains highly informal.
02a male friend
n. a casual way to address a male friend.
n. a colloquial variant of 'bro' or 'brother' used as a term of address for a male peer.
“What is up, bruh? I haven't seen you all week.”
“He greeted his childhood friend with a casual 'What's good, bruh?' before they headed into the stadium.”
Slang · Informal · American English
Usage
Used as a vocative to address someone directly.
Teaching tip
This form is specifically associated with African American Vernacular English (AAVE) origins but has been widely adopted in global internet slang.
Etymology
PIE word *bʰréh₂tēr A shortening of brother from African-American Vernacular English. bro + -h.
From Malay beruk.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/bruh