What does wonga mean?
Wonga is an informal British word for money, especially physical cash. It typically appears in casual or humorous speech—“I haven't got any wonga”—rather than in formal financial, legal, or literary contexts. The word often has a cheeky, slightly old-fashioned tone, so a speaker may use it for warmth, exaggeration, or to suggest that the subject is not being treated too seriously. Although it is informal, “wonga” is a distinctive slang noun rather than an abbreviation of “money.” In modern usage, it is most natural when discussing everyday spending, cash payments, or having little money. It is consequently recognizable in Britain and understood in other varieties of English, but “cash” or “money” will usually be preferred in neutral contexts. The word's value as a vocabulary item lies in this cultural specificity: a single, vivid expression turns an ordinary reference to money into unmistakably informal British speech.
nounAn informal term for money, especially cash.
- Money, especially cash.
"He had no wonga for the bus fare."
"He had no wonga for the bus fare."
"After the auction, the dealer counted every last wonga."
The plural is wongas; in ordinary singular use, wonga functions as a mass noun for money.
"They spent their wongas on a second-hand car."
Old-school British slang for money, wonga gives an everyday reference to cash a distinctly cheeky personality.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does wonga come from?
The exact origin of wonga is uncertain, but it is commonly regarded as an alteration of money within British slang. Money itself came through Old French from Latin moneta, the name of the mint, and the same Latin root underlies related English forms such as monetary and monetize. Because the initial development of wonga is poorly documented, these connections should be understood as likely etymological relationships rather than a fully certain chain of derivation.
Related word forms
How wonga is actually used
Informal and chiefly British. It is often jocular or deliberately casual, and it may suggest physical cash more strongly than the neutral word money.