Actual bodily harm means: Hurt or injury which interferes with the health or comfort of the victim and which is more than transient or trifling.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
actual bodily harm
(strictly) Hurt or injury which interferes with the health or comfort of the victim and which is more than transient or trifling.
Definitions
UK
#1·Apr 27, 2026UK
(strictly) Hurt or injury which interferes with the health or comfort of the victim and which is more than transient or trifling.
For parents
Actual bodily harm means: Hurt or injury which interferes with the health or comfort of the victim and which is more than transient or trifling.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
actual bodily harm means: Hurt or injury which interferes with the health or comfort of the victim and which is more than transient or trifling.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
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UK
#2·Apr 27, 2026UK
(loosely) The criminal offence of causing actual bodily harm.
Cluster: criminal
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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UK
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🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
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