Skip to main content
to neg

to neg

1 9.9
To say a small insult hidden as a compliment to make someone feel less confident
  • verb
  • /nɛg/
  • Offensive
: menospreciar
  • He tried to impress her by negging her outfit, saying it looked good for a thrift shop.

And like we said, it's the best way to make sure is by negging them, right?

Examples

  • During their conversation, she unexpectedly negged his accomplishments, leaving him feeling less confident.

  • And like we said, it's the best way to make sure is by negging them, right?

  • Instead of being straightforward, he opted to neg her talent by suggesting she could improve with more practice.

How Insulting

to insult
  • Offensive
420 2.1
to put down
  • Offensive
62 4.9
to neg
  • Offensive
1 9.9
tease
1 4.0
to rib
  • Informal
5 3.8

Surface Forms

neg infinitive
negated past
negated past participle
negating present participle
negates third person singular

Etymology

Neg as a verb comes from the idea of being negative, or 'not positive', so to neg someone is to give a small negative remark or backhanded compliment meant to make them feel unsure.