Standard Lemma guide

nigga

noun · 7 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.

  • /ˈnɪɡə/
  • Northern-California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • African-American-Vernacular-English: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪɡə(ɹ)
  • rhymes with -ɪɡə

1

noun

Meaning 1

Pronunciation spelling of nigger.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, dated, ethnic, offensive, pronunciation-spelling, slur, vulgar

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A close and loyal friend.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: offensive, often, slang, vulgar

Qualifier: but also often used affectionately in African-American Vernacular

Examples

  • I'd never betray you, 'cause you my nigga, man.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A black person (usually a male friend), especially an African American.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: offensive, often, slang, vulgar

Qualifier: but tolerated in African-American Vernacular

Examples

  • As soon as I walked into the class and saw that sea of white faces, I felt alone, so I sat next to the only other nigga there.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Any person, though chiefly male.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: offensive, often, slang, vulgar

Qualifier: chiefly African-American Vernacular

Examples

  • White niggas do be like, this is too spicy.
  • All these freshman niggas are so annoying.
  • These niggas out here bein' fake.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A male, especially an adult one, as opposed to a female.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: offensive, often, slang, vulgar

Qualifier: but tolerated in African-American Vernacular

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A type of acrographic lexical list included in Old Babylonian scribal curriculum.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: vulgar

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

(ethnic slur) extremely offensive name for a Black person

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • only a Black can call another Black a nigga

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: nigger, spade, coon, jigaboo, nigra

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: Black, Black person, blackamoor, Negro, Negroid

History

Etymology

From a dialectal non-rhotic pronunciation of nigger.

Of Old Akkadian origin. Unrelated to Etymology 1.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: neger — ethnic slur
  • Finnish: nekru — ethnic slur
  • French: nègre — ethnic slur
  • Italian: negro — ethnic slur
  • Macedonian: црнчуга (crnčuga) — ethnic slur
  • Portuguese: crioulo — ethnic slur
  • Portuguese: preto — ethnic slur
  • Russian: негр (negr) — ethnic slur
  • Spanish: negro — ethnic slur
  • Spanish: negrito — ethnic slur
Real reading context

nigga in complete knowledge articles