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to neg
01
to subtly insult or undermine someone to lower their confidence, often to manipulate or gain favor
Slang
Grammatical Information
Composition
Simple
Action verb
Regular
Present tense
neg
3rd person singular
negs
Present participle
negging
Past simple
negged
Past participle
negged
What does "to neg" mean in slang?
The verb "to neg" means to give a backhanded compliment or mild insult intended to lower someone's confidence and make them seek approval. The structure comes from "negative," shortened into "neg." It is associated with pickup-artist terminology and is widely criticized as manipulative. In general usage, it refers to subtle put-downs rather than open insults.
Examples
He tried to neg her by commenting on her outfit.
Lexical Tree
negative
neg
