weeaboo

W4E1E1A1B3O1O1
/ˈwiː.ə.buː/

noun

A non-Japanese person, stereotypically an unsociable white male, who is overly infatuated with Japanese culture; a loser Japanophile.

Scrabble 12

Meanings

nounweeaboo (plural weeaboos)

plural weeaboos · alternative weaboo

  1. derogatoryslanglifestyleA non-Japanese person, stereotypically an unsociable white male, who is overly infatuated with Japanese culture; a loser Japanophile.

    Ingrid has been with Stephen, a Japanese translator and blatant weeaboo, for five years, and yet is shocked when she finds evidence that all of his ex-girlfriends are Asian.

    2022 April 18, Steph Cha, “Down the Rabbit Hole”, in The New York Times, Fiction
    2 more examples

    I remember you distinctively^([sic]) because I once responded in grand^([sic]) detail to one of your posts about a kimono only to have you completley^([sic]) ignore it. Welcome back. The clothing sounds good but I tend to desire a non-weeaboo opinion. People who are head over heels about Japanese culture tend to be a bit “biased” in their reviews.

    2007 May 3, Kai, “Return of an old-timer and H. Naoto review”, in alt.gothic.fashion (Usenet), message-ID <23836-4639551F-204@storefull-3118.bay.webtv.net>

    But its^([sic]) all over. Too bad. I suppose the boychild had hoped for some little Weeaboo boy who would fuck him up the ass in his mothers^([sic]) basement. He just really wanted to play dirty Gohan/Goku with someone like him. He is pretty sure Weeaboo’s^([sic]) hate halfassed black kids with cumstained sweatshirts though.

    2010 January 24, Pisces, “ROB IS REALLY”, in alt.slack (Usenet), message-ID <5ca8c049-ad60-4ec3-ba74-1326fa02ff3d@o36g2000vbl.googlegroups.com>
  2. positiveslangsometimeslifestyleA person who is obsessively interested in anime, manga or Japanese culture more generally.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA white person, who is obsessed with Japanese culture, usually pejorative

Similar
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Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

A nonce word in "Weeaboo", a 2005 Perry Bible Fellowship comic by Nicholas Gurewitch, according to whom the word originated from a dream his sister had. It was used later that year as a wordfilter replacement for the abusive term wapanese on the message board 4chan, from which its current sense derived and spread.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic ويبابو
  • ويبابو (wībābū)Translations
Chinese Mandarin 死宅 or 御宅族
  • 死宅 or 御宅族 (sǐzhái)Translations
French kikoojap, weeaboo
  • kikoojapTranslations
  • weeabooTranslations
German Weeaboo, Weebo
  • WeeabooTranslations
  • WeeboTranslations
  • WeebTranslations
Hindi वीआबू
  • वीआबू (vīābū)Translations
Indonesian wibu
  • wibuTranslations
Japanese オタク
  • オタク (otaku)Translations
Malay wibu
  • wibuTranslations
Polish weeaboo, łibus
  • weeabooTranslations
  • łibusTranslations
  • łibuskaTranslations
Portuguese otaku
  • otakuTranslations
Spanish otaku
  • otakuTranslations
Vietnamese wibu
  • wibuTranslations

Rhymes & wordplay

Sounds the same

Cite this entry
APA

weeaboo. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/weeaboo

MLA

“weeaboo.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/weeaboo. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “weeaboo,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/weeaboo.

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