(New Zealand) Compensation for a wrong suffered; reciprocal exchange or payment; loosely, payback, revenge.
(New Zealand) Compensation for a wrong suffered; reciprocal exchange or payment; loosely, payback, revenge.
"utu" means compensation for a wrong suffered; reciprocal exchange or payment; loosely, payback, revenge. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
"utu" means compensation for a wrong suffered; reciprocal exchange or payment; loosely, payback, revenge. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
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 "utu".
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 U.
(Scottish, _, law, obsolete) A plea in cases of debt collection whereby a plaintiff counters a defendant's claim of compensation as a reason for absolving the alleged debt.
(AU, idiomatic) To provide reparations or compensation to Indigenous Australians predicated on the claim that the nation constitutes their sovereign territory.
To suffer a penalty; to smart for one's misdeeds.
The act of settling.
"utu" is informal English meaning compensation for a wrong suffered; reciprocal exchange or payment; loosely, payback, revenge. It is mainly heard in Australian or New Zealand English. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "compensation for a wrong suffered" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "utu" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.
No comments yet — say something.
(idiomatic) To receive a negative thing: to receive punishment; to receive a retaliation; to receive a beating; to get what's coming to one; to feel someone's wrath.