cunt

IPA/kʌnt/
KK[kˈʌnt]IPA/kʌnt/

cunt — noun

  • cuntsingular
  • cuntsplural

1. an extremely offensive and taboo word used to insult someone by calling them a c

1.nounC2
Definition

an extremely offensive and taboo word used to insult someone by calling them a completely worthless, deeply unpleasant, or thoroughly stupid person.

Example

Kenji muttered 'you absolute cunt' when the taxi driver took the long way.

used as a direct insult toward someone

The footballer was fined for calling the referee a 'cheating cunt' during the televised match.

demonstrates social and legal consequences

Common collocations
  • absolute cunt
  • stupid cunt
  • lazy cunt
  • miserable cunt
  • cheating cunt
  • call someone a cunt
Synonyms
  • bastard

    less severe; common in British English as a general insult, but still vulgar

  • arsehole (UK) / asshole (US)

    vulgar but far less taboo than 'cunt'; acceptable in some informal settings

  • dick

    milder vulgarity, used mainly in US English; rarely causes deep offence

Grammar Patterns

call + someone + (adjective) + cunt

Usage Note

This is one of the strongest profanities in English — far more vicious than 'idiot', 'jerk', or 'bastard'. Using it to describe a person will cause extreme offence. Learners should recognise the word but never use it.

Common Mistakes

He called me a stupid cunt' (using this as a casual insult).
He called me an idiot / a jerk.
'cunt' is not a mild swear word; it is considered deeply taboo and socially destructive in almost every context.

2. a highly offensive and taboo word for a woman's external sexual organs, includin

2.nounC2
Definition

a highly offensive and taboo word for a woman's external sexual organs, including the vagina and vulva, comparable in register to the strongest profanities in the language.

Example

The sex education teacher explained that 'cunt' is crude slang for the female genitals.

shows the anatomical referent being explained

Aylin found the word 'cunt' graffitied on the bathroom wall above a crude drawing.

Common collocations
  • the word cunt
  • crude term for genitals
Synonyms
  • vagina

    clinical and neutral; the standard term for the internal canal

  • vulva

    clinical and precise; refers to the entire external genital area

  • pussy

    slang, less offensive than 'cunt', but still informal and vulgar in many contexts

Antonyms
  • penis

    the male equivalent body part; clinical and neutral

Grammar Patterns

the word + cunt + as a crude term for female genitals

Usage Note

Extremely vulgar slang for female genitals. In any polite or professional setting, use the clinical terms 'vagina' (陰道) or 'vulva' (外陰) instead. Even in informal contexts, many native speakers consider this word unacceptable.

Common Mistakes

She felt pain in her cunt' (using this word in a medical or neutral context).
She felt pain in her vagina / in her pelvic area.
the word 'cunt' is never appropriate in medical, polite, or professional discourse.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four are vulgar insults in English, but 'cunt' sits far above the others in offensiveness. 'Bastard' is the mildest of the group — common in British English, used almost casually among some groups, and rarely prosecuted as hate speech. 'Arsehole' (UK) / 'asshole' (US) is also very common; it implies selfishness or meanness rather than outright evil. 'Dick' and 'prick' are US-centric insults for a person perceived as rude or inconsiderate; they are vulgar but not deeply taboo. 'Cunt', by contrast, carries a social charge that can end careers or friendships. A footballer might shout 'you cheating bastard' at a referee and receive a yellow card; shouting 'you cheating cunt' would likely bring a red card, a fine, and a media scandal.

bastard ↗arsehole (UK) / asshole (US)dick ↗prick ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • call someone a cunt
  • the word cunt

Etymology

Old NorseMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'cunt' is one of the oldest recorded profanities in English. It comes from the Old Norse 'kunta' (woman's genitals), and has cognates in Old English, Middle Dutch, and Middle Low German. It appeared in medieval medical texts as a neutral anatomical term and in English place names (e.g. 'Gropecuntlane' in 13th-century London, a street linked to prostitution). Over the centuries, it shifted from a coarse but ordinary word to a deeply taboo profanity — a change driven partly by Victorian-era sensitivities and partly by the word's use as a vicious personal insult. Today it is widely considered the strongest offensive word in English.