DictionaryAI

asshole

noun
SayAS-hohl/ˈæsˌhoʊl/UK/ˈæsˌhəʊl/

Pluralassholes

UK spellingarsehole

4 meanings of asshole

Practice

  1. 1
    rude personnounderogatoryoffensivevulgarUScountable
    A person who is mean, rude, selfish, pushy, or stupid in a way that bothers others.

    Some asshole took my parking spot while I was waiting for it.

    Stop being an asshole and say sorry to your sister.

    UsageJerk is a milder word for the same thing.

    Similarjerk, bastard, prick, jackass, dick

  2. 2
    body openingnounvulgarUScountable
    The opening in your bottom that solid waste comes out of.

    The dog kept licking its asshole in the middle of the living room.

    That spicy curry left my asshole burning all the next day.

    UsageSay anus with a doctor or in class.

    Similaranus

    Note
  3. 3
    unpleasant thingnounvulgarUScountable
    Something bad or unpleasant, especially a place.

    He called the old factory town the asshole of the state.

    My cousin calls his tiny hometown the asshole of the state.

    UsageOften the asshole of a place. Dump is a less rude word.

    Similardump, shithole, armpit

Less common meaning

  1. 4
    ash boxnounobsoleteNorthern EnglandScotlandUS
    A container under the metal bars of a fire that catches the ashes.
    Esshole, Asshole, the hole under the fire to hold ashes.
    1775, Tim Bobbin [John Collier], The Miscellaneous Works of Tim BobbinHere, asshole means the hole or container under a fire that catches ashes.
    Note

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–3

It is another form of the older word arsehole, made from ass + hole. People began using it as an insult in the 1900s.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

Meaning 4

It comes from the Scots word ass (or ash) plus hole.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact

  • For the ash-receptacle sense, asshole derives from Scots ass or ash plus hole. en.wiktionary.org