osti
What does “osti” mean in English?
This is a Québec French exclamation that can express surprise, anger, or frustration. It literally refers to a communion host, but it’s used more as a strong intensifier in everyday speech.
Literally “communion host”
It's similar to saying 'damn' or 'shit' in English, often used to emphasize a point or reaction. It carries a strong tone and is primarily heard in Québec.
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Related French words
crisse
4/5 · StrongThis is a Quebecois swear that serves as an intensifier, often used to express frustration or anger. It literally translates to 'Christ.'
ciboire
3/5 · VulgarThis is a Quebecois swear that serves as an intensifier, often used to express frustration or anger. It literally refers to a sacred object, the ciborium, which adds an ironic twist to its usage.
crissement
4/5 · StrongIt's a vulgar intensifier used in Quebec French to emphasize something as extremely intense or significant.
câlisse
4/5 · StrongIt's a Quebecois exclamation similar to saying 'fuck' or 'damn'. The word literally means 'chalice', but that's not how it's used in this context.
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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 Viddexa SafeText (MIT). Editorial content © Swear Atlas.