What does asshole mean?
An asshole is, in its dominant modern usage, a person regarded as stupid, selfish, cruel, or deeply irritating — someone whose behavior shows a callous disregard for others. It is one of the strongest and most widely used insult words in contemporary English, functioning as both a general term of abuse and a pointed description of specific rude or contemptuous conduct. The word also has an older anatomical sense referring to the anus, though this meaning is now far less common in everyday speech. Asshole is highly vulgar: it is offensive in formal, professional, or polite contexts, though it appears freely in casual conversation, comedy, film, and informal writing across the United States, Britain, and other English-speaking regions. The British variant spelling is arsehole. Despite its crudeness, the word is linguistically productive, having generated playful derivatives like assholery, and it remains a fixture of expressive English when speakers want to convey genuine contempt for someone's behavior.
A stupid, irritating, or contemptible person.
"He's been nothing but an asshole to everyone on the team."
Strongly vulgar; avoid in formal or professional contexts.
The anus.
"The medical illustration labeled the relevant anatomical structures plainly."
Older anatomical/vulgar sense, now much less common than the insulting use.
Standard regular plural.
"Both of them were acting like total assholes."
The word was considered too vulgar to appear in most dictionaries until the 1960s — yet today it's one of the most commonly used insults in the English language.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of asshole
The word combines 'ass' (a Middle English term for the donkey, ultimately from Latin asinus) with 'hole' in reference to the anus, with the compound emerging in English by the early 19th century at the latest. It shares its root with the British form 'arsehole', built on 'arse' (the older Germanic word for the buttocks/anus), which is cognate with related terms in other Germanic languages. The insulting sense — applying an anatomical vulgarity to a contemptible person — developed alongside similar metaphors in English slang and became firmly established over the course of the 20th century.
Related word forms
How asshole is actually used
Highly vulgar and offensive in nearly all contexts; inappropriate in formal settings, professional communication, or polite conversation. The word is common in casual speech, comedy, and informal writing. The British equivalent spelling is 'arsehole', reflecting the UK pronunciation of 'ass' as 'arse'.
Easily confused with asshole
'Arsehole' is the British spelling/pronunciation of the same word, while 'asshole' is the American form.