What does "asshole" mean?
The anus.
Asshole
/æshoʊl/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The anus.
- Grammar: asshole is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: jerk, anus, anus, arse.
- Useful contrasts: angel, civil person, decent person.
- Usage evidence: Holy crap, who's the asshole who dares call me in the middle of the night?!
How to use "asshole"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "asshole" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "asshole" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "asshole" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "asshole" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "asshole" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "jerk" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "asshole", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The anus. US, vulgar
"That homemade hot sauce of yours got me twice, both coming and going. My asshole is still sore."
- 2 A receptacle under a fire grate for collecting ashes; an ash-hole. Northern-England, Scotland, US, obsolete
"Esshole, Asshole, the hole under the fire to hold ashes."
- 3 vulgar slang for anus wordnet
- 4 A jerk; an inappropriately or objectionably mean, inconsiderate, contemptible, obnoxious, intrusive, stupid, or rude person. US, derogatory, offensive, vulgar
"My former landlord was a world-class asshole. Fortunately my current landlord is an actual human being."
- 5 insulting terms of address for people who are stupid or irritating or ridiculous wordnet
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Anything (especially a place) that is unpleasant or undesirable. US, broadly, vulgar
"Welcome to the Northeast, the asshole of America."
Example
"Holy crap, who's the asshole who dares call me in the middle of the night?!"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "asshole"?
Common synonyms include: jerk, anus, anus, arse, arsehole, bastard.
How do you use "asshole" in a sentence?
Holy crap, who's the asshole who dares call me in the middle of the night?!
How do you pronounce "asshole"?
Pronounced /æshoʊl/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Variant of earlier arsehole, from Middle English arshole, arcehoole, equivalent to ass + hole. Cognate with Norwegian rasshøl (“asshole”), Swedish arsle (“asshole”). Compare also German Arschloch (“asshole”). Attested from the 1370s, replacing earlier Old English earsþyrel (“anus”, literally “ass hole”). First recorded in Middle English, as ers hole (Glouc. Cath. Manuscript 19. No. I., dated 1379, cited after OED), ars-hole (Bodleian Ashmole MS. 1396, dated ca. 1400, ed. Robert Von Fleischhacker as Lanfrank's "Science of Cirurgie", EETS 102, 1894, cited after OED.) Slang figurative usage dates to the 20th century; it was used of an uninviting place (compare shithole) in the 1920s, and then of an anti-social or despicable person from at least the 1950s (Harvard Advocate 137, March 1954). It is also used appositionally (as in "You're an asshole moralist", T. Chamales, 1957).
Etymology 2
From Scots ass, asse or ash + hole.