shit
What does “shit” mean in English?
It's an exclamation used to express dismay or frustration, but can also refer to something bad or troublesome. In a more positive context, it can describe something really good, as in 'the shit.'
Literally “excrement”
Commonly used as an exclamation similar to 'fuck' or 'damn,' it's versatile in tone and can be used in both serious and casual settings. Its strength can vary based on context, but it's generally seen as moderately strong.
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Related English words
shit for brains
3/5 · VulgarThis is an insult implying that someone is very stupid. It suggests their brain is as useless as shit.
ape shit
3/5 · VulgarIt means to become extremely angry or overly excited, often in a chaotic or uncontrolled way.
bullshit
3/5 · VulgarIt refers to nonsense or dishonesty, often used to challenge a false claim. While it literally means 'bull excrement,' it rarely pertains to actual animal waste.
dogshit
3/5 · VulgarThis refers to something of extremely poor quality or rubbish. It can also literally mean dog excrement.
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About this data
Swear Atlas is a source-attested, AI-curated reference — not a native-speaker-certified dictionary. Meanings and the 1–5 Burn Rating are approximate editorial assessments that vary with context, region, tone and speaker. Inclusion of a word does not constitute endorsement of its use.
The literal gloss is a short editorial translation to show word-for-word sense, not an etymological claim.
“Sounds like” is an English-friendly approximation of how the word sounds, not an authoritative pronunciation. Where shown, the romanisation is a conventional Latin-script transliteration of the original spelling.
Term attested via LDNOOBW, 4troDev/profanity.csv, Viddexa SafeText (CC-BY-4.0, MIT). Editorial content © Swear Atlas.