Work in progress! Native speakers are still checking every phrase. Spot something off? Tell us.
cursing.in curse like a local

Russian · Insults

Трус!

trus

TROOS · /trus/

Coward / chicken

2/5 Bar-safe

coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances

Literally

"Coward (from 'to tremble')"

Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.

How to use it

The clean, dictionary word for coward — schoolyard-taunt energy, "trus, trus!" The vulgar upgrade is "ssyklo" or "ssykun" (from "to piss"), which means the same but crudely. Mild by itself; a challenge to someone's nerve rather than a deep insult.

Heard in the wild

Прыгай давай, не будь трусом!

Jump already, don't be a coward!

Where it lands

Russia (universal)

Quick answers

What does "Трус!" mean?
In Russian, "Трус!" means "Coward / chicken". Literally it's "Coward (from 'to tremble')". The clean, dictionary word for coward — schoolyard-taunt energy, "trus, trus!" The vulgar upgrade is "ssyklo" or "ssykun" (from "to piss"), which means the same but crudely. Mild by itself; a challenge to someone's nerve rather than a deep insult.
Is "Трус!" offensive?
It's on the mild end — 2/5 (Bar-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances.
How do you pronounce "Трус!"?
Say it "TROOS" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: trus.

Related in Russian

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "Coward".

how to say "Coward" →

Reviewed by native speakers. Rate it differently? Tell us what we got wrong.