Meanings
- derogatorysometimesUngrammatical, unorthographical, or nonsensical English of the kind found in East Asia, notably in Japan.
'Why you not teach Engrish more? I must aspeak^([sic]) Engrish.' The Chelsea's resident mad painter was angry at the way Jeremy had been ignoring him.
2003, Bruce L. Russell, Channelling Henry, page 129
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
From the mispronunciation of the word English common to Japanese speakers, who have difficulty distinguishing /l/ ~ /r/ sounds. The Japanese transliteration of the word English, イングリッシュ (Ingurisshu) is often used for teaching purposes. In that word, /ɾ/ (romanized as r) is pronounced instead of the English /l/.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Engrish. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Engrish
“Engrish.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Engrish. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Engrish,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Engrish.
Source: Engrish on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.