the n-word
1
9.9
- noun
- Slur
:
la palabra con n [insulto racial]
- I don't recommend you use the n-word.
- use of the n-word
You know, slave owners would call black people as the N word with the hard R at the end.
- You know, slave owners would call black people as the N word with the hard R at the end.
- You've got all kinds of eyewitness testimony and people writing books, the endless use of the N word.
- A reporter on air talking about his death said what seems to sound like the N word and YouTube.
- And I'm trying to speak to that and I'm just the reason we're highlighting clear examples like the N word.
- And that's the just like the N word when spoken by people that have the same skin color as me.
Examples
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Charlie, I don't wanna ever hear you use the n-word in this house.
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I don't recommend you use the n-word, but intention has got to be the most important thing. This particular incident with Gwyneth is innocent.
Blog text (34) -
The single most powerful word and slur in the English language, The N word, with a hard R at the end.
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There are some words like we will say the N word because that's strange, isn't it, how that happens?
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There is just no way that an adult human who has lived in this country all their lives has no idea whatsoever that saying the n-word is a racist thing for a white person to do.
Blog text (29) -
It is unacceptable to use the n-word in any context due to its racist history.
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Many people believe that the n-word should never be spoken, even if it is abbreviated.
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He was scolded for using the n-word during the discussion about racial equality.
Synonyms
18
7.1
A word people think is rude or not polite
8
5.8
A rude word people say to show strong anger or surprise
1
8.6
A rude word people use when angry or to insult someone
An indirect way to say a very offensive word for a woman's private parts
A polite way to refer to a taboo or offensive word without saying it
A polite phrase people use instead of a rude word for a woman
A polite phrase for a rude word that starts with A, for example ass
A polite way to avoid saying a rude word that starts with p
A polite way to talk about a word or topic that makes people upset
Surface Forms
Morphology
the + n-word
The phrase follows an English euphemistic pattern (letter + "-word", e.g. "the f-word"), so a learner who knows the constituents can infer it refers to an offensive word beginning with the letter N. However, recognizing the precise racial slur referenced and the cultural/pragmatic weight of the term requires background knowledge beyond the literal parts, so the meaning is not fully predictable from the words alone.
Etymology
The n-word comes from the habit of naming only the first letter, n, and the part word to avoid saying a hurtful 'slur' out loud. People use the n-word to talk about that hurtful word without saying it, and to show the word is not acceptable.