Japanese · Insults
ブス
busu
BOO-soo · /bɯ̥sɯ/
Ugly woman / dog
3/5 Watch your audience
genuinely rude; friends only, never at work
Literally
"ugly (of a woman)"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
A genuinely nasty word for an unattractive woman — one of the crueler common insults precisely because it targets appearance and is gendered. Comedians and friends use it self-deprecatingly ("watashi busu dakara"), which is very different from calling someone else busu, which is cruel. The male-directed equivalent, busa or busaiku, lands softer.
Heard in the wild
そんな言い方する方がブスだよ。
Talking like that is what's actually ugly.
Where it lands
Nationwide
Quick answers
- What does "ブス" mean?
- In Japanese, "ブス" means "Ugly woman / dog". Literally it's "ugly (of a woman)". A genuinely nasty word for an unattractive woman — one of the crueler common insults precisely because it targets appearance and is gendered. Comedians and friends use it self-deprecatingly ("watashi busu dakara"), which is very different from calling someone else busu, which is cruel. The male-directed equivalent, busa or busaiku, lands softer.
- Is "ブス" offensive?
- It's genuinely rude — a 3/5 (Watch your audience) on the Punch-o-Meter. Fine among friends, never at work or with people you've just met.
- How do you pronounce "ブス"?
- Say it "BOO-soo" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: bɯ̥sɯ.
Related in Japanese
ばか baka BAH-kah Idiot / dummy / stupid あほ aho AH-ho Idiot / dummy (Kansai flavor — often affectionate) 馬鹿野郎 baka-yarō BAH-kah yah-ROH You stupid bastard / you goddamn idiot クソ野郎 kuso-yarō KOO-so yah-ROH Piece of shit / shitty bastard この野郎 kono-yarō KO-no yah-ROH Why you...! / you little...! デブ debu DEH-boo Fatty / fat-ass
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