Bruh
what it means
Derived from "brother" but rarely used to address anyone. Standing alone, "bruh" is a complete reaction meaning something between "seriously?" and "I have no words".
An expression of disbelief, disappointment or exasperation — a sigh in word form.
the origin story
AAVE shortening of "brother", in use for decades. Vine and Twitter turned it into a standalone reaction word in the mid-2010s.
The "bruh sound effect #2" audio clip made it a meme in its own right, and it has proved unusually durable — most reaction words from that era are gone, but "bruh" still works. Extended spellings like "bruhhh" scale the exasperation.
in the wild
They cancelled the tour.
Bruh.
I left the tickets at home.
Bruh. We're twenty minutes away.
how to use it
- Reacting to something disappointing or absurd
- Casual chats and comments
- As a full reply where words would be excessive
- In professional communication
- As an actual form of address to someone you don't know
- In response to genuinely serious news
related terms
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