What does swinish mean?
Swinish is a derogatory adjective meaning filthy, greedy, mean, or contemptibly vulgar, usually with the implicit suggestion that the behaviour is crude or animalistic. Its image of swine gives the word a particularly vivid force: calling someone swinish suggests not merely bad manners but a selfish disregard for others and a moral lack that the speaker finds repugnant. The term can describe conduct, attitudes, entertainment, food, or surroundings, and it commonly appears in expressions such as swinish greed and swinish behaviour. Although especially associated with British English, swinish is understood in American English as well. It is an emphatic word rather than a neutral description, so writers normally reserve it for clear condemnation of conduct they consider especially greedy, filthy, or contemptible.
adjectiveCharacteristic of swine; filthy, greedy, or contemptibly vulgar. It is used to describe behaviour, attitudes, or things regarded as mean or repulsive.
- Filthy, foul, or repulsive in behaviour or appearance.
- Greedy, selfish, or mean in a particularly contemptible way.
- Vulgar, coarse, or discreditable in conduct or taste.
"His swinish treatment of the staff made him deeply unpopular."
"The swinish grin on his face made everyone at the table uneasy."
"She condemned the advertisement as swinish and exploitative."
Swinish turns the unmistakable image of a pig into one of English's sharpest moral insults.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does swinish come from?
Swinish was formed in the 16th century from the Old English word swine and the suffix -ish. Its early association with the physical characteristics and supposed habits of pigs allowed it to develop figuratively into a term for greed, filth, and vulgar or contemptible conduct. The same Germanic root also underlies swine and compounds such as swineherd.
Related word forms
How swinish is actually used
Strongly derogatory and informal in tone. It is especially common in British English but is understood and used in American English as well; it can describe either an individual or objectionable conduct, attitudes, and material.
Easily confused with swinish
Swinish is chiefly a formal or old-fashioned adjective meaning resembling swine; swinish is the more common modern term for filthy, greedy, or contemptibly vulgar.