Meanings
yob1
plural yobs
- obsoletecostermongers; back slang; costermongers; back slangA boy.
And you bet that each gal, not to mention each yob, Didn't care how much ooftish it cost 'em per nob.
1897, A. R. Marshall, Pomes^([sic]) from the Pink 'Un, page 761 more example
As we left the cemetery, I heard an elderly gravedigger muttering back slang to himself before Lucien's headstone. "Bloody shame, ain't it? Doubt the yob did much living by eighteen." I corrected the man, saying, “No fear, that yob did plenty of living.”
2010, Paul R. Wilson, The Birthday of Eternity, page 209Synonyms: boy
- CommonwealthIrelandUKderogatoryslangA person who engages in antisocial behaviour or drunkenness.
Yes, it's holiday time again for British yobs – and the rest of us can flee to those parts of Abroad which the louts ignore, or just cringe in shame at home.
2009 August 8, Janet Daley, “The real reason for all those louts on holiday”, in The Telegraph2 more examples
But while doing 70mph on the A1, a hooded yob threw rock^([sic – meaning a rock]) from a grass verge onto the windscreen of the family’s Jeep, causing it to swerve.
2017 March 27, Keiran Southern, “'We could have been killed': Fury at yobs who bricked windscreen with baby girl in car”, in Chronicle Live, retrieved 28 Mar 2017Three local yobs have also joined, but they have not reckoned on a redoubtable Conductor and two local revenue protection officers who soon escort them off the train!
2022 November 2, Paul Bigland, “New trains, old trains, and splendid scenery”, in RAIL, number 969, page 57
YOB2
alternative Y.O.B. · alternative Y. O. B. · alternative YoB · alternative y.o.b. · alternative y. o. b.
YoB3
- alternativeAlternative spelling of YOB (year of birth)
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA boy.
nounA person who engages in antisocial behaviour or drunkenness.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna cruel and brutal fellow
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Backslang for boy. The second sense was likely influenced by hobnob and/or yokel.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian хулига́н
- хулига́н (huligán)antisocial person
Catalan brètol
- brètolantisocial person
Czech chuligán, vandal
- chuligánantisocial person
- vandalantisocial person
Finnish renttu
- renttuantisocial person
French voyou m asocial, houligan
- voyou m asocialantisocial person
- houliganantisocial person
- pauméantisocial person
- pauv'typeantisocial person
- loubardantisocial person
- blouson noirantisocial person
- casseurantisocial person
German Halbstarker, Halbstarke
- Halbstarkerantisocial person
- Halbstarkeantisocial person
- Rabaukeantisocial person
- Rabaukinantisocial person
- Rowdyantisocial person
- Rowdyinantisocial person
- Randaliererantisocial person
- Randaliererinantisocial person
- Hooliganantisocial person
- Hooliganinantisocial person
- Hoolantisocial person
- Hoolinantisocial person
Greek μάγκας
- μάγκας (mágkas)antisocial person
Italian monello, birichino
- monelloantisocial person
- birichinoantisocial person
Polish chuligan
- chuliganantisocial person
Russian хулига́н, го́пник
- хулига́н (xuligán)antisocial person
- го́пник (gópnik)antisocial person
Spanish vándalo, gamberro
- vándaloantisocial person
- gamberroantisocial person
- golfoantisocial person
- granujaantisocial person
- patoteroantisocial person
- hinchaantisocial person
Swedish buse, bråkstake
- buseantisocial person
- bråkstakeantisocial person
Ukrainian хуліга́н
- хуліга́н (xulihán)antisocial person
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with yob
Anagrams
Cite this entry
yob. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/yob
“yob.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/yob. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “yob,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/yob.
Source: yob on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.