ENGLISH
REFERENCE

slut

v.
US //ˈsɫət// UK //slˈʌt// slut
  1. 1 to dress or act provocatively (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Vulgar Slang

    to dress or behave in a way that is intended to be sexually attractive, often used as an insult.

    to dress or behave in a manner perceived as sexually provocative; often used with 'up' or 'it'.

    Example

    She decided to slut it up for the Halloween party with a very short costume.

    Example

    The tabloid media frequently criticized celebrities for 'slutting it up' on the red carpet, reflecting deep-seated cultural anxieties about female celebrity.

    Usage

    Often used in the phrasal form 'slut it up' or 'slut up'.

Origin

From Middle English slutt, slutte, slute (“a dirty or slovenly person, usually a woman, scullery maid; messy animal to prepare as food; slush, mud”), probably from Old English slȳte (“sleet”), from Proto-West Germanic slautijā, from Proto-Germanic slautijǭ (“sleet, hail”), related to Proto-West Germanic slaut (“puddle, ditch”). Compare Dutch slodder and slet, dialectal Swedish slata (“idle woman”), Norwegian sludd (“sleet”), and the dialectal Norwegian slutr (“sleet, impure liquid”). Doublet of sleet.

Word family

© 2026 English Reference