chav

C3H4A1V4
US, UK/t͡ʃæv/

noun

A working-class youth, especially one associated with aggression, poor education, and a perceived "common" taste in clothing and lifestyle.

Similar
charvanedpikeyadlaybamBarry boybazzabenny
Less commonScrabble 12
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Meanings

nounchav (plural chavs)

plural chavs

  1. IrelandUKderogatoryoffensiveA working-class youth, especially one associated with aggression, poor education, and a perceived "common" taste in clothing and lifestyle.

    Lyrical staff / Never could they ever take me for a chav / Scholar in the English, scholar in the Math / Dizzee ain't no riff raff

    a. 2009, Dizzee Rascal, “Creeper (Freestyle)”
    1 more example

    His book concerns ‘chavs’, a supposed underclass of ill-educated, fast-breeding, violent and amoral poor people currently plaguing Britain.

    2011 June 18, “Giving the poor a good kicking”, in The Economist

    Synonyms: charva, ned, pikey, adlay, bam, Barry boy, bazza, benny

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA working-class youth, especially one associated with aggression, poor education, and a perceived "common" taste in clothing and lifestyle.

Similar
charvanedpikeyadlaybamBarry boybazzabennyboganbopperbrushcharvacharverdobberdresserdumboeshaygazzagippo
Also see
boganboyboychildeshaygopnikguyknackerman childmanlingnedredneckscangerscunnersengastigstriplingtrevyob

Origin

Origin uncertain; probably of Angloromani origin. Compare Romani chavi (“male child”) or ćhavo, shavo (“female child”), chal (“boy”), chavvy (“mate, friend”), compare Swedish tjej; possibly cognate with Portuguese chavalo, Spanish chaval, German Chabo, Russian чувак (čuvak), Hungarian csávó. See also charva. Derivations from council-housed and violent, Cheltenham average (and similar) are folk-etymological backronyms.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Cantonese MK (em¹ kei¹), MK仔
  • MK (em¹ kei¹)relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
  • MK仔 (em¹ kei¹ zai²)relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Chinese Mandarin 殺馬特 /杀马特, 八加九
  • 殺馬特 /杀马特 (shāmǎtè)relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
  • 八加九 (bājiājiǔ)relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Esperanto marĝenulo, misgustulo
  • marĝenulorelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
  • misgustulorelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Finnish rakkari
  • rakkarirelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
French racaille, cacou
  • racaillerelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
  • cacourelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
German Asi, Proll
  • Asirelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
  • Prollrelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Greek κάγκουρας
  • κάγκουρας (kágkouras)relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Hebrew עַרְס
  • עַרְס ('ars)relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Italian tamarro, zingaro
  • tamarrorelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
  • zingarorelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
  • coattorelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
  • scugnizzorelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Japanese ヤンキー, チンピラ
  • ヤンキー (yankii)relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
  • チンピラ (chinpira)relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Polish dresiarz, dres
  • dresiarzrelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
  • dresrelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
  • dresiararelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Portuguese maloqueiro, trombadinha
  • maloqueirorelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
  • trombadinharelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Romanian bombardier, cocalar
  • bombardierrelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
  • cocalarrelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Russian го́пник
  • го́пник (gópnik)relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Spanish flaite, cani
  • flaiterelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
  • canirelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
  • chonirelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
  • poligonerorelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
  • poligonerarelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Turkish keko
  • kekorelating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with chav

haveWAVTravpavsalvehalveGavcalvescav
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

chav. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chav

MLA

“chav.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chav. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chav,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chav.

Source: chav on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.