Slangora

TBH

"To be honest." Preface to any sincere opinion, especially one that might be controversial.

/tə biː ˈɒnɪst/Coined ~20202020sGen Alphatrending344 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
🌐 Internet & Memes
6 definitions
Community

Etymology timeline

Born ~2020 · no dated citations yet
2020BornToday, 2026

Seen in the wild

Definitions

Global
+634100%
#1·Apr 24, 2026Global

"To be honest." Preface to any sincere opinion, especially one that might be controversial. Softens the blow. "TBH, the new album is mid" lands better than just "the new album is mid" — the acronym signals self-awareness the bare verdict doesn't.

"TBH, the new album is mid."
Origin: AAVE / Black Twitter; widely adopted by Gen Z on TikTok in the 2020s.
For parents

'TBH' stands for 'to be honest' and is used to introduce a candid opinion. 'TBH I didn't like the film' = 'honestly, I didn't like the film'. Same softening function as 'NGL' but slightly older — TBH dates from early internet messaging in the 2000s. If your teen uses it, they are being conversational and direct. Harmless. The Instagram app TBH (acquired by Facebook in 2017) made the abbreviation extra-popular among teens.

For ESL learners

'TBH' is the initialism for 'to be honest', a discourse marker introducing a candid opinion, often mildly critical or unexpectedly direct. Pronounced as letters when spoken. Register: very informal, chat and social media. In formal English use 'honestly', 'frankly' or 'to be candid'. A common learner mistake is to over-use it in writing; in formal contexts it sounds slangy. The Instagram-acquired TBH app (2017) further popularised the abbreviation among teens.

Cluster: stimulants
Heard in the wild
  • “If an [internal link](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:WhatLinksHere/TBH&namespace=0) incorrectly led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.”

  • “In this story, tbh producer Amaya Dorman Mackenzie shares her story growing up in a school district that supported LGBTQ+ students.”

Was this helpful?

Comments

Global
#2·May 3, 2026Global

Tugdan Airport, IATA airport code

Was this helpful?

Comments

Global
#3·May 3, 2026Global

"To Be Honest", see List of acronyms and initialisms: T

Was this helpful?

Comments

Global
#4·May 3, 2026Global

tbh (app), an anonymous social media app

Was this helpful?

Comments

Global
#5·May 3, 2026Global

Talento Bilingüe de Houston ("Bilingual Theater of Houston")

Was this helpful?

Comments

Global
#6·May 3, 2026Global

Tharawal language, ISO 639-3 language code

Was this helpful?

Comments

For specific readers

'TBH' stands for 'to be honest' and is used to introduce a candid opinion. 'TBH I didn't like the film' = 'honestly, I didn't like the film'. Same softening function as 'NGL' but slightly older — TBH dates from early internet messaging in the 2000s. If your teen uses it, they are being conversational and direct. Harmless. The Instagram app TBH (acquired by Facebook in 2017) made the abbreviation extra-popular among teens.

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.

Used in

Global

Have a better definition?

Add your own interpretation of "TBH".

Add definition

Compare with…

Head-to-head pages explaining the difference.

🌐About Internet & Memes slang

Viral internet speak — memes, ratios, main-character moments, and the algospeak of every platform from Twitter to Reddit to TikTok comment sections.

See all Internet & Memes slang on Slangora.

Tags

Other words near "TBH" (T)

Browse all slang words starting with T.

Related terms

People also read

Semantically related