List of ethnic slurs

The following is a list of ethnic slurs, ethnophaulisms, or ethnic epithets that are, or have been, used as insinuations or allegations about members of a given ethnic, national, or racial group or to refer to them in a derogatory, pejorative, or otherwise insulting manner.

Some of the terms listed below (such as "gringo", "yank", etc.) can be used in casual speech without any intention of causing offense. The connotation of a term and prevalence of its use as a pejorative or neutral descriptor varies over time and by geography.

For the purposes of this list, an ethnic slur is a term designed to insult others on the basis of race, ethnicity, or nationality. Each term is listed followed by its country or region of usage, a definition, and a reference to that term.

Ethnic slurs may also be produced as a racial epithet by combining a general-purpose insult with the name of ethnicity, such as "dirty Jew" or "Russian pig". Other common insulting modifiers include "dog" and "filthy"; such terms are not included in this list.

Dictionaries

 * Erin McKean, ed. The New Oxford American Dictionary, second edition. (Oxford University Press, 2005)
 * Eric Partridge, A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English (2002)
 * John A. Simpson, Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series. ISBN 0-19-861299-0
 * Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson, ed. The Concise Oxford English Dictionary. (Oxford University Press, 2004)