Jabbed means: Jabbed entered mainstream British slang during the COVID-19 pandemic as casual shorthand for being vaccinated - specifically having received a vaccine injection. The jab was the source, and jabbed. It is informal slang, fine in casual speech but not suited to formal contexts. It is generally derogatory or offensive; worth a quiet word about how it lands on the person being described.
jabbed
Jabbed entered mainstream British slang during the COVID-19 pandemic as casual shorthand for being vaccinated — specifically having received a vaccine injection.
Etymology timeline
Born ~2020 · 1 year of recorded useDefinitions
Jabbed entered mainstream British slang during the COVID-19 pandemic as casual shorthand for being vaccinated — specifically having received a vaccine injection. The jab (British term for a needle injection) was the source, and jabbed quickly became the past tense of choice in everyday speech. It's straightforward and widely used, though it also carries derogatory undertones in anti-vaccination communities.
She got jabbed first thing in the morning and was back at her desk by noon.
Jabbed means: Jabbed entered mainstream British slang during the COVID-19 pandemic as casual shorthand for being vaccinated - specifically having received a vaccine injection. The jab was the source, and jabbed. It is informal slang, fine in casual speech but not suited to formal contexts. It is generally derogatory or offensive; worth a quiet word about how it lands on the person being described.
jabbed means: Jabbed entered mainstream British slang during the COVID-19 pandemic as casual shorthand for being vaccinated - specifically having received a vaccine injection. The jab was the. Register: very informal, often derogatory or vulgar. Avoid in formal, business, academic, or polite writing. Even in casual speech the word can offend and is best left out of a learner's active vocabulary. 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.
Comments
(slang, derogatory) Vaccinated; inoculated.
“Jimmy Kimmel showed no signs of retreating from roasting Donald and Melania Trump as he jabbed the 'buzzkill' FLOTUS.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Comments
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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Semantically related
- double-jabbed77%
(US, UK, neologism) Of a person, having received both doses (jabs) of a COVID vaccine.
- jab75%
(British) A medical hypodermic injection (vaccination or inoculation).
- anti-jabber71%
(British, Australian, NZ, informal, neologism) A person who opposes vaccination or refuses to be vaccinated (especially against COVID-19).
- jabtard67%
(Internet slang, derogatory, offensive, vulgar, humorous) An individual or other entity that advocates or supports compulsory vaccination.