What does "wog" mean?
A non-white person, originally specifically an Indian. (In later use, more loosely used of various non-white peoples. Now dated and sometimes conflated with gollywog.)
Wog
/wɒɡ/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A non-white person, originally specifically an Indian. (In later use, more loosely used of various non-white peoples. Now dated and sometimes conflated with gollywog.)
- Grammar: wog is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: nigger.
- Usage evidence: 'One of the little Indian girls whose name is Polly has just come in to ask, " Miss D., what is a wog? One white boy called me a polliwog, and I thought a wog must be something bad."'
How to use "wog"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "wog" 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 "wog" 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 "wog" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "wog" 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 "wog" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang 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 "nigger" 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 "wog", 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 A non-white person, originally specifically an Indian. (In later use, more loosely used of various non-white peoples. Now dated and sometimes conflated with gollywog.) British, dated, ethnic, slur
"'One of the little Indian girls whose name is Polly has just come in to ask, " Miss D., what is a wog? One white boy called me a polliwog, and I thought a wog must be something bad."'"
- 2 Clipping of polliwog. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping
- 3 A bug, an insect. Australia, slang
- 4 Initialism of water-oil-gas, typically marked on valves that are acceptable for use with these fluids. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, uncountable
- 5 (offensive British slang) term used by the British to refer to people of color from Africa or Asia wordnet
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 Someone of Mediterranean descent, such as an Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Lebanese, Greek, or Maltese person. Australia
"'Every fucking aussie. Go to Cronulla Beach Sunday for some Leb and wog bashing Aussie Pride ok.'"
- 7 A pollywog, or sailor who has never crossed the Equator. slang
- 8 A minor illness caused by bacteria, virus, intestinal parasite, etc. Australia, slang
- 9 A person who is not a Scientologist. attributive, often
"So yes, they do keep records, but no they are not 'accurate' in the wog world meaning of the word."
- 10 A toy insect in parts that can be assembled, used in fund-raising games. Australia, obsolete, slang
Verb
- 1 (Of soldiers stationed abroad) to sell something, especially illicit or stolen goods, to the local inhabitants. Australia, obsolete
- 2 To steal. Australia, UK, dated
Adjective
- 1 Abbreviation of whole-of-government. abbreviation, alt-of
Proper Noun
- 1 Abbreviation of Winter Olympic Games. abbreviation, alt-of
- 2 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"'One of the little Indian girls whose name is Polly has just come in to ask, " Miss D., what is a wog? One white boy called me a polliwog, and I thought a wog must be something bad."'"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "wog"?
Common synonyms include: nigger.
How do you use "wog" in a sentence?
'One of the little Indian girls whose name is Polly has just come in to ask, " Miss D., what is a wog? One white boy called me a polliwog, and I thought a wog must be something bad."'
How do you pronounce "wog"?
Pronounced /wɒɡ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
The origins are not entirely clear. The term was first noted by the lexicographer F.C. Bowen in 1929, in his Sea Slang: a dictionary of the old-timers’ expressions and epithets, where he defines wogs as "lower class Babu shipping clerks on the Indian coast." The most common theory is that it is a clipping of golliwog, which was first used as the name of a black-faced doll in Florence Upton’s 1895 book The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls and a Golliwogg. A variety of folk etymologies exist, with the most common claiming that the word is an acronym for one of either westernized, worthy, wily, or wonderful preceding “Oriental gentlemen”. Another erroneous claim is that it was used in the mid 1800s, with WOGS (meaning Working On Government Service) stencilled on the shirts of Indian workers in Egypt. The Scientologist sense is from the usage of L. Ron Hubbard, who apparently accepted the folk etymology from “worthy Oriental gentleman” but employed the term to mean “common ordinary run-of-the-mill garden-variety humanoid”.
Etymology 2
Clipping of polliwog (“a tadpole”).
Etymology 3
Unknown. Probably from Etymology 2, a clipping of polliwog (“a tadpole”).