Someone Called You A Chud? Here's What The Gen Z Slang Actually Means

There are plenty of words kids have in their arsenals to diss their peers or random strangers on the internet: from mid and Ohio to polyester.

So, it’s perhaps unsurprising then that ‘chud’ is also proving to be a popular modern-day insult. Yet its origin dates back over 40 years. 

An analysis of the most-Googled slang words found ‘chud’ came in sixth place overall, following the likes of the eternally-annoying 6/7, mogging, gooning, rizz and larping. 

The same analysis from Word Unscrambler found ‘chud’ happened to be the most searched slang word in Wales (based on monthly searches).

But what does it even mean?

What does chud mean?

The insult ‘chud’ is thought to come from a 1984 sci-fi horror movie called C.H.U.D (an acronym for cannibalistic humanoid underground dwellers), which was about radioactive monsters living in the sewers of New York City.

Fast forward to the early 2020s and it was used to mock the far-right. Over time it became more of a broad insult meaning fool or jerk. 

Per Merriam-Webster dictionary: “Chud is a generalised term of disparagement used somewhat synonymously with fool, troll, and jerk, to suggest that someone (usually a man) is rude/boorish/regressive/unintelligent/etc”.

“In online political discourse, chud is often used specifically as a left-wing insult for someone (again, usually a man) on the far right.”

Why so many slang terms, though?

Randoh Sallihall, a spokesperson for Word Unscrambler, suggested that using slang “helps people navigate identity and belong to a community”.

“Today new slang terms can spread like wildfire around the world thanks to big online communities on social media like TikTok, Instagram, gaming chats, streaming and so on,” said Sallihall. 

“The popularity of trending slang words can change quickly, but the psychological need behind them stays the same. People want to understand one another and belong.”

What else might I hear kids saying?

’Skill issue‘ – used to call someone out for their lack of ability or skill.‘Do you send?’ – a request to send nude images. Three in 10 (30% of) parents say they don’t know what “do you send?” means.‘Quiet on the creek’ – to keep something on the down-low or secret. It originates from a viral video of American rapper Saucy Santana, which was later turned into a song. ‘Hey, it’s me, it’s Verity’ – a sinister smiley face character which became a meme, then inspired a song, and is now prompting kids to add ‘ity’ to every word they can think of.