Bruh
/bruh/ (roughly rhymes with “duh”)noun · interjection
Meaning
Bruh is an informal way to address a friend or another person, similar to bro. Used alone or at the start of a sentence, it can react to disbelief, frustration, disappointment, surprise, approval, or an obviously bad decision; context and delivery determine the emotion.[1]
- 1. A familiar term for a friend, peer, or person being addressed, often but not exclusively male.
- 2. A standalone reaction expressing disbelief, frustration, disappointment, surprise, or speechless amusement.
- 3. A casual attention-getter or sentence opener used to emphasize what follows.
Examples
“Bruh, you left your keys in the fridge.”
“That update deleted my settings. Bruh.”
“Thanks for covering my shift, bruh.”
“Bruh, wait till you see what happened in the group chat.”
“Three alarms and I still overslept—bruh.”
Origin and spread
Bruh developed as a written representation of a spoken alteration of brother, especially in Southern African American English. Merriam-Webster dates the word to 1894 in its older address-related sense; brer is a related historical spelling, not evidence that the internet reaction began then. By the 2010s, bruh was also functioning online as a compact emotional response. A documented May 1, 2014 Vine by CallHimBzar paired Headgraphix’s deadpan “bruh” audio with footage of Tony Farmer collapsing in court. Other Vine users soon reused the sound and the hashtag #BruhMovement, establishing a recognizable reaction format for failures, baffling behavior, and disappointing outcomes. The word later remained useful beyond that specific meme as a text reaction, spoken response, and casual form of address.
How to use it
Bruh is strongly informal and fits texts, comments, gaming chats, memes, and relaxed conversation. A short, flat bruh usually signals disappointment or disbelief, while a louder or stretched delivery can show shock, excitement, or comic exasperation. Because it can sound dismissive, avoid using it as the only response when someone is discussing something painful or serious. The word has roots in African American English, though its use has spread widely across internet and youth speech.
