noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American, Received-Pronunciation:/t͡ʃæv/
UK:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -æv
1
noun
Meaning 1
A working-class youth, especially one associated with aggression, poor education, and a perceived "common" taste in clothing and lifestyle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ireland, UK, derogatory, offensive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: charva, ned, pikey
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Origin uncertain; probably of Angloromani origin. Compare Romani chavi (“male child”) or ćhavo, shavo (“female child”), chal (“boy”), chavvy (“mate, friend”), compare Swedish tjej; possibly cognate with Portuguese chavalo, Spanish chaval, German Chabo, Russian чувак (čuvak), Hungarian csávó. See also charva. Derivations from council-housed and violent, Cheltenham average (and similar) are folk-etymological backronyms.
Across languages
Translations
35 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Chinese Cantonese:
MK (em1 kei1)
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Chinese Cantonese:
MK仔
(em1 kei1 zai2)
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Chinese:
阿明
(a-bêng)
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Chinese Mandarin:
殺馬特 /杀马特
(shāmǎtè)
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Chinese Mandarin:
八加九
(bājiājiǔ)
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Esperanto:
marĝenulo
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Esperanto:
misgustulo
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Finnish:
rakkari
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
French:
racaille
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
French:
cacou
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
German:
Asi
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
German:
Proll
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Greek:
κάγκουρας
(kágkouras)
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Hebrew:
עַרְס
('ars)
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Italian:
tamarro
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Italian:
zingaro
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Italian:
coatto
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Italian:
scugnizzo
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Japanese:
ヤンキー
(yankii)
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Japanese:
チンピラ
(chinpira)
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Polish:
dresiarz
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Polish:
dres
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Polish:
dresiara
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Portuguese:
maloqueiro
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Portuguese:
trombadinha
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Romanian:
bombardier
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Romanian:
cocalar
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Russian:
го́пник
(gópnik)
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Serbo-Croatian:
dizelaš
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Spanish:
flaite
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Spanish:
cani
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Spanish:
choni
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Spanish:
poligonero
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Spanish:
poligonera
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
Turkish:
keko
— relating to a youth from a working class background, aggressive with poor education
