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hood rat

(slang, African-American Vernacular English, pejorative) A person, especially a man or a woman, from an urban neighborhood who overtly exhibits attributes associated with inner city life, especially i

ˈhʊd ˈɹætDocumented since 1990s1990sMillennialhistorical178 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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Born ~1993 · no dated citations yet
1993BornToday, 2026
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Definitions

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#1·Apr 27, 2026US

(slang, African-American Vernacular English, pejorative) A person, especially a man or a woman, from an urban neighborhood who overtly exhibits attributes associated with inner city life, especially in both behavior and appearance.

Let's get a couple of hood rats over for the party tonight.
Origin: From . First use appears c. 1993 in the Philadelphia Tribune. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents

"hood rat" means: A person, especially a man or a woman, from an urban neighborhood who overtly exhibits attributes associated with inner city life, especiall.... This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.

For ESL learners

"hood rat" means: A person, especially a man or a woman, from an urban neighborhood who overtly exhibits attributes associated with inner city life, especiall.... Register: informal slang, fine in casual conversation, texting and social media but not in academic essays, business writing or formal speech. Note the regional or dialect label (American) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when

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For specific readers

"hood rat" means: A person, especially a man or a woman, from an urban neighborhood who overtly exhibits attributes associated with inner city life, especiall.... This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.

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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Slang from Black American Vernacular English (AAVE), hip-hop, drag and ballroom culture, the Caribbean, and NYC street vocabulary. The single largest source of new mainstream English slang in living memory.

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