What does bint mean?
Bint is a British informal noun meaning a girl or young woman. Borrowed into English from Arabic — where the word simply means 'daughter' — it entered British vernacular largely through contact with Arabic speakers during the colonial era and became widespread in the twentieth century, particularly in northern England and among armed forces personnel. In contemporary usage the word is distinctly derogatory in tone: calling someone a bint suggests she is silly, annoying, or contemptible, as in phrases like 'daft bint' or 'silly bint'. Because of this dismissive, objectifying connotation, the term should be avoided in polite conversation and formal writing, though it survives in casual, often affectionate banter among some speakers. Its rhyming monosyllabic form makes it a staple of informal British dialogue, but learners of English are advised to recognize it rather than use it, since it can cause genuine offence.
nounA girl or young woman; in modern British informal usage, typically a somewhat dismissive or mildly derogatory term for a woman.
- (British informal, often derogatory) a girl or young woman
"He was out on the town with a couple of mates and a bint he'd met at the pub."
"Some daft bint left her handbag on the bus."
"The lads were teasing him about the bint he'd been chatting up all night."
Regular plural; rarely used, as the word itself is uncommon in formal registers.
"The pub was full of blokes bragging about the bints they'd met."
This cheeky British insult for a girl actually just means 'daughter' — it's straight from Arabic.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bint
Bint comes directly from Arabic bint, meaning 'daughter', the feminine counterpart of ibn ('son'). The word entered British English through soldiers, sailors, and colonial administrators who encountered Arabic in North Africa and the Middle East, becoming established in British slang in the early twentieth century. It shares its Semitic root with related terms such as Hebrew bat ('daughter') and ben ('son'), reflecting the common ancestry of Arabic and Hebrew within the Semitic language family.
How bint is actually used
Strongly colloquial and potentially offensive; best avoided in polite or formal contexts. It carries a dismissive or objectifying tone and is chiefly heard in British working-class speech.
Easily confused with bint
'Bent' means curved or crooked (or, in slang, dishonest), while 'bint' is a noun meaning a girl or woman.