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petmalu

Filipino (Tagalog): "awesome" or "amazing," also a reversed word.

/pɛtˈmaːlu/Documented since 2010s2010sGen Alphatrending293 viewsLast reviewed Jun 12, 2026+ Add a definition
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Born ~2017 · no dated citations yet
2017BornToday, 2026

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#1·Apr 24, 2026Global

Filipino (Tagalog): "awesome" or "amazing," also a reversed word. Spelled backward from "malupet." Used the way English speakers use "sick" or "insane" for something cool.

"Petmalu ang dance niya!"
Origin: Tagalog reversal of "malupet" (loosely "hardcore/fierce"); part of Filipino youth slang (baybalik).
For parents

Petmalu is Filipino salyabit (backwards) slang derived from "malupit" meaning amazing or awesome. Not concerning, just Filipino vocabulary. 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.

For ESL learners

Petmalu is Filipino slang derived from "malupit" (originally meaning cruel, but used positively to mean amazing). It is part of the salyabit tradition of word reversal. Use in Filipino and diaspora contexts. Formal equivalent: "amazing," "awesome." Common non-native mistake: reading literally as the Tagalog "malupit" sense. In current slang, petmalu is overwhelmingly positive. Read or listen to the word in context several times before trying it yourself; the right register is harder to learn than the dictionary meaning.

Cluster: excellent
Heard in the wild
  • “60. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Philippine_films_of_2018#cite_ref-60 "Jump up")**Catan, Angeli (August 16, 2018). ["'Petmalu', bagong barkada movie"](http://balita.net.ph/2018/08/16/petmalu-bagong-barkada-movie/).”

  • “40. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diego_Loyzaga#cite_ref-40 "Jump up")**["'Petmalu' review: Old, musty, best forgotten"](https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/movies/211512-petmalu-movie-review/). [Rappler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rappler "Rappler").”

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For specific readers

Petmalu is Filipino salyabit (backwards) slang derived from "malupit" meaning amazing or awesome. Not concerning, just Filipino vocabulary. 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.

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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🗺️About Regional & Other slang

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.

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