Russian · Insults
Чмо
chmo
CHMOH · /t͡ɕmo/
Lowlife / loser / worthless creep
3/5 Watch your audience
genuinely rude; friends only, never at work
Literally
"(prison/street slang, roughly 'degraded person')"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
Street and prison slang for a pathetic, contemptible person low in the pecking order. Nastier than "loser" — it strips dignity. "Chmoshnik" is the fuller form. Carries a whiff of the criminal underworld, so it reads tougher than its three letters suggest.
Heard in the wild
Не будь чмом, верни деньги.
Don't be a lowlife, give the money back.
Where it lands
Russia (universal); street/prison origin
Quick answers
- What does "Чмо" mean?
- In Russian, "Чмо" means "Lowlife / loser / worthless creep". Literally it's "(prison/street slang, roughly 'degraded person')". Street and prison slang for a pathetic, contemptible person low in the pecking order. Nastier than "loser" — it strips dignity. "Chmoshnik" is the fuller form. Carries a whiff of the criminal underworld, so it reads tougher than its three letters suggest.
- Is "Чмо" 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 "Чмо"?
- Say it "CHMOH" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: t͡ɕmo.
Related in Russian
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