chav

[chav]

noun

Chiefly British Slang: Disparaging and Offensive.

1. a young person who wears fashionable sportswear or flashy jewelry but is regarded as badly behaved or as having lower-class taste.

chav

/ tʃæv /

noun

1. informal,  a young working-class person whose tastes, although sometimes expensive, are considered vulgar by some

Other Word Forms

• chavish adjective
• chavvy adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of chav¹

First recorded in 1995–2000; perhaps shortening of British slang chavvy “baby, child,” or from Romani chavo “(Romani) boy, youth, unmarried man” or Romani chavi “baby, child,” probably from unrecorded Middle Indic chāva, chāpa “young of an animal,” from Sanskrit śāva

Word History and Origins

Origin of chav¹

perhaps from Romany chavi a child

Example Sentences

"Back then I was just known as the Blackpool chav," says Millie Bracewell, perhaps better known as Millie B.

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Fast-forward to 2023 and the song's a viral sound on TikTok, used on a trend embracing "chav make-up".

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A lot of people sharing the video have praised the usually pristine Kim showing another side to her character, but there's some discomfort around using the word "chav".

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Why is 'chav' still controversial?

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Its British counterpart - 'chav' - has long drawn accusations of revealing a sneering class hatred.

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When To Use

What does chav mean?

Chavs is a UK derogatory slang word for a young hooligan who wears designer clothes and starts fights, usually seen as lower class.