yob

Yob is a British English noun describing a person who is loud, uncouth, and aggressively anti-social, typically a young man. It is a pejorative label used to describe someone perceived as such by others, especially when associated with street-level nuisance, rowdy behavior, vandalism, or petty crime. The term can refer to a single individual or to a broader pattern of behavior that is described as yobbery. A related form, yobbo, is a longer slang term that sometimes carries a slightly more humorous or buffoonish nuance.

Etymology: The precise origin of yob is uncertain. It is commonly thought to derive from a shortened form of yobbo, or possibly from variants of boy with rhotacization; the word entered prominent British usage in the mid- to late 20th century and has since become fixed in everyday speech and media.

Usage: Yob is chiefly found in British contexts. It is considered highly informal and offensive in formal discourse, and is more likely to appear in journalism, fiction, and casual conversation. The word is often associated with discussions of youth culture, social disorder, and public order, but it can also be used more broadly to criticize anti-social behavior regardless of age or gender.

See also: Hooligan; Lout; Chav; Yobbery.