horse's ass: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Slang, Vulgar, Informal
Quick answer
What does “horse's ass” mean?
A foolish, incompetent, or obnoxious person.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A foolish, incompetent, or obnoxious person.
A person who makes a ridiculous spectacle of themselves; someone who is an embarrassment or a source of mockery due to their behavior, arrogance, or incompetence.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Used in both varieties, but slightly more prevalent and culturally embedded in American English. British English has near-synonyms like 'prat' or 'pillock' that are less vulgar.
Connotations
Identically pejorative and informal in both. It often implies the person is not just foolish but also arrogantly unaware of their foolishness.
Frequency
More frequent in American casual speech, film, and literature. In British English, it is understood but may be perceived as an Americanism.
Grammar
How to Use “horse's ass” in a Sentence
[Subject] is a horse's ass.[Subject] made a horse's ass of [reflexive pronoun].Don't be such a horse's ass.Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Highly inappropriate; would be considered grossly unprofessional in any formal setting.
Academic
Not used except possibly in very informal student discourse.
Everyday
Used in very casual conversation among friends, often for emphasis or humor. Still considered vulgar.
Technical
No technical usage.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “horse's ass”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “horse's ass”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “horse's ass”
- Misspelling as 'horses ass' (missing apostrophe).
- Using it in formal writing or polite company.
- Confusing it with 'horse's arse' (UK variant spelling).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is considered mild-to-moderate vulgar slang due to the word 'ass'. It is inappropriate for formal or polite contexts.
Both are insults for foolish people. 'Jackass' emphasizes stubborn stupidity, while 'horse's ass' often emphasizes pompous, embarrassing, or obnoxious foolishness.
Yes, often. It's frequently used among friends in a teasing, hyperbolic way, e.g., 'Stop being such a horse's ass and pass the popcorn.'
Yes, 'arse' is the standard British English spelling for the body part, so 'horse's arse' is the common UK variant with the same meaning.
A foolish, incompetent, or obnoxious person.
Horse's ass is usually slang, vulgar, informal in register.
Horse's ass: in British English it is pronounced /ˈhɔːsɪz ɑːs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈhɔːrsɪz æs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “make a horse's ass of yourself”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a person wearing a horse costume backwards, with their head where the tail should be. They look foolish and are the 'ass' (rear) of the horse.
Conceptual Metaphor
A FOOLISH PERSON IS THE UNDESIRABLE BODY PART OF A LARGE ANIMAL.
Practice
Quiz
In which situation would calling someone a 'horse's ass' be LEAST appropriate?