jailbait

IPA/ˈdʒeɪlbeɪt/
IPA/ˈdʒeɪlbeɪt/

jailbait — noun

1. a degrading slang word for a young person viewed in a sexual way even though the

1.nounC2
Definition

a degrading slang word for a young person viewed in a sexual way even though they are below the legal age for sexual activity.

Example

The editor removed jailbait from the review of the teen actor.

remove the word jailbait from + text

Fans condemned the host for calling the sixteen-year-old singer jailbait on air.

call + someone + jailbait

Common collocations
  • call someone jailbait
  • describe someone as jailbait
  • jailbait joke
  • use the word jailbait
Synonyms
  • minor

    neutral legal term for a person under the age set by law

  • underage person

    neutral description that states age status without sexualising the person

Antonyms
  • adult

    a person who has reached the legal age

  • of-age person

    stresses that the person is legally old enough

Grammar Patterns

call + someone + jailbait

describe + someone + as + jailbait

use/remove + the word jailbait

Usage Note

Strongly offensive and objectifying. It often appears when people are criticising someone else's language or behaviour, not as a neutral label.

Common Mistakes

The twenty-year-old actor was jailbait.
The actor looked very young.
jailbait refers to someone below the legal age for sexual activity, and the term itself is insulting.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Jailbait is not a neutral age word. It is insulting because it reduces a young person to sexual appeal while also pointing to legal danger for the adult involved. Minor and underage person are neutral legal descriptions and do not imply attraction at all. Teen is an everyday age label, but many teens are above the legal age in some places, so it is broader and less exact. Child is stronger and usually suggests someone younger than a teenager. In careful writing, people usually avoid jailbait and choose a neutral term instead. A news report might say a minor was exploited, not that the person was jailbait.

minor ↗underage personteen ↗child ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • call someone jailbait
  • describe someone as jailbait
  • use the word jailbait
  • remove the word jailbait

Prepositions

Etymology

English

Jailbait is a modern English slang compound built from jail and bait. The image is that being attracted to the person could lead someone into criminal trouble and prison. The word has long been used in a crude, objectifying way, which is why it is usually marked as offensive.