desi

British

/ ˈdeɪsiː /

adjective

indigenous or local

a desi buda
authentic

desi music

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of desi

C21: Hindi, from Sanskrit deśa a country

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The film also has a Bhangra Christmas song, and a tribute to George Michael with Bollywood superstar Priyanka Chopra Jonas singing a desi take on Last Christmas.

From BBC • Nov. 8, 2025

The diaspora has much to consider in this desi power broker’s rapid ascent in British politics—helped, in part, by years of turmoil on Downing Street and within the Tories’ ranks.

From Slate • Oct. 24, 2022

“Anyone who is desi knows this woman very well,” she said, using a shorthand term for South Asians.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 9, 2022

I would listen to Akshiti’s popular millennial Bollywood playlist while cooking and cry along with desi sad boi hours while I showered.

From The Verge • Aug. 8, 2022

This is not normal, not for a desi Muslim kid.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023