bruh

See also: brüh

English

Etymology 1

PIE word
*bʰréh₂tēr

Clipping of brother originating in African-American Vernacular English. Predates, but perhaps influenced, other slang clippings spelled with -h.

This is a phonetic clipping: /ˈbɹʌðɚ/ → /bɹʌ/. Contrast bro, which is a clipping of the spelling of brother rather than the pronunciation.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɹʌ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌ

Noun

bruh (plural bruhs)

1. (slang, originally African-American Vernacular) Alternative form of bro (“male comrade or friend”).
   • 2024, Eminem, “Houdini”, in The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce):

     Abra-abracadabra / (And for my last trick) I'm 'bout to reach in my bag, bruh / Abra-abracadabra / (And for my last trick, poof) Just like that and I'm back, bruh

Derived terms

• bruh girl

Interjection

bruh

1. (slang, originally African-American Vernacular) Expressing amazement or shock.

   You're moving to Greenland? Bruh!

2. (slang, originally African-American Vernacular) Expressing a feeling that something is stupid, inappropriate, useless or even weird to say, think or do.

   Person 1: I poured canola oil into my car engine!
   Person 2: Bruh.

   Person 1: I think the word partisan derives from how they parted their hair.
   Person 2: Bruh.

3. (slang, originally African-American Vernacular) Expressing disappointment.

   Person 1: Your favorite show got cancelled!
   Person 2: Bruh.

   Person 1: I just ate your dinner.
   Person 2: Seriously, bruh.

Alternative forms

• bru, breh, bryh

Translations

amazement or shock — see also well

• Spanish: total (es)

Synonyms

• dude
• bro

Derived terms

• bruh moment
• bruh girl

Descendants

• → Vietnamese: bủh (eye dialect)

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

Malay berukbor.

English bruh

Borrowed from Malay beruk.

Noun

bruh (plural bruhs)

1. (obsolete) The rhesus macaque.
   • 1838, James Rennie, The Natural History of Monkeys, Opossums and Lemurs:

     […] in adolescence, and still more in youth, it is no less certain that the bruh is both good-natured and intelligent.

Anagrams

• Buhr, burh

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *břuxъ (“belly”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /brûx/

Noun

brȕh m inan (Cyrillic spelling бру̏х)

1. (regional, Croatia; medicine) hernia
2. (regional, Croatia; anatomy) belly