What does pothead mean?
A pothead is, in its dominant and generally derogatory sense, someone who regularly uses cannabis. The term can feel demeaning because it reduces a person to a stereotyped habit and has long been associated with disparaging portrayals of cannabis users. However, some speakers use it jokingly or as a reclaimed label. A secondary, less common sense describes someone who watches a great deal of television, comparing the person's devotion to the medium with addiction. The word is chiefly associated with informal North American English and is unsuitable for formal or neutral description. It should normally be used only when a speaker's intent is clear and, in the cannabis sense, when the label is self-applied or otherwise appropriate. The television sense lacks the cannabis-related sense's strong stigma but remains dated and informal.
nounAn informal, usually derogatory term for a person who regularly uses cannabis. It can also refer to an avid television viewer.
- A person who regularly uses cannabis; generally derogatory.
- A person who watches a great deal of television.
"The documentary attracted cannabis enthusiasts, though some viewers objected to being labeled potheads."
"He was known around the neighborhood as a pothead who rarely missed a day."
"Friday-night television turned him into a pothead for the duration of the season."
Used for multiple people, with the same derogatory or informal connotations as the singular form.
"The newspaper portrayed several potheads as懒散而缺乏动力。"
A literal-sounding insult that joins the slang word for cannabis with the word for a person.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pothead come from?
The word is a compound of pot, a long-established slang term for cannabis, and head, which can mean a person. It developed as 20th-century American English slang. Its separate meaning for an avid television viewer is a humorous extension based on the word's suggestive sound and imagery.
Related word forms
How pothead is actually used
The cannabis-related sense is informal and ordinarily derogatory, though it may be used humorously or self-referentially in reclaimed contexts. The television-viewing sense is also informal and is less common today.
Easily confused with pothead
A pothead is a person, usually with the disparaging slang meanings given above, whereas a potholder is a device or mat used to protect surfaces from hot cookware.