Since Abo is simply a shortened form of Aborigine or Aboriginal, one could easily think that it is as neutral and inoffensive a term as Aussie is for an Australian. However, Abo is as highly offensive to Australian Aboriginal people as nigger is to African Americans in the United States.
This once quite common word is now completely unacceptable
First recorded in 1905–10; by shortening; see -o
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A man called Abo Ali, who had been displaced from Jebchit in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon said his family "had returned, but with caution".
From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026
"Hajj has been the dream of a lifetime for me," Ahmed Abo Seta, 47, told AFP.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
Sheikh Abo Rayya was walking near the house at the time of the strike, according to Ms Hammoud.
From BBC • Oct. 23, 2024
Adam and Ola Abo Sheriah say they make around 150 calls a day to check on siblings, cousins and other relatives trapped in Gaza.Credit...
From New York Times • Apr. 24, 2024
It was a festive occasion, and the élite and fashion of Abo were assembled there in their best attire.
From The Land of Thor by Browne, J. Ross (John Ross)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
