Yoruba / Nigerian Pidgin: "foreigner" or "white person." Not typically hostile — descriptive, sometimes teasing. Used in markets, conversations, and media when referring to visibly non-Nigerian foreigners.
"The oyinbo bought ten mangoes without haggling."
“Owa Obokun Adimula Agunloye-bi-Oyinbo "Bepolonun" was a 1st Class Yoruba king from the Ijeshaland.”
Oyinbo is a Yoruba and broader Nigerian word for a white person or foreigner. Generally descriptive, sometimes with mild teasing. Not concerning. If your kid uses it constantly, ask them where they first heard it, not to police their speech but to understand which online community they are in. Most slang of this kind moves through TikTok and group chats, so seeing it in your child's vocabulary just means they are plugged into normal teen internet culture.
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.
Add your own interpretation of "oyinbo".
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
Browse all slang words starting with O.
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