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Descriptions & Emotions
181 entries in this part of the language, each with meanings, pronunciation and worked examples.
- Ashamed Ashamed or embarrassed — feeling shame or losing face over something.
- Backfoot A mild exclamation of shock, surprise, or frustration — 'good grief!', 'what on earth!' It…
- Bad In Patois 'bad' swings two ways, and tone tells you which.
- Bad like yaz Extremely bad, tough, or fearsome — 'bad' here in the admiring dancehall sense of…
- Baddaration Bother, annoyance, harassment, and fuss — a nagging nuisance that will not let you rest.
- Badmind Envious, spiteful, and ill-wishing — begrudging other people's success or happiness, and…
- Bagga mout A person who talks a great deal but does little to back it up — all talk and no action.
- Bangarang A loud commotion, uproar, or disturbance — chaos, a noisy quarrel, or a great fuss.
- Bapps Suddenly, all at once, in an instant — an expressive word for something that happens…
- Bashy Excellent, exciting, or top-quality — especially something flashy, energetic, and full of…
- Beenie Tiny, small, or little — describing something small in size or a person of slight, small…
- Beggy-beggy Given to constant begging — always asking others for things instead of providing for…
- Ben up Bent up, crooked, twisted, or folded out of shape — used of anything crumpled, warped, or…
- Bess Best — and, more loosely, excellent, wonderful, first-rate, a general stamp of high praise.
- Bex Angry, cross, or upset — and, used as a verb, to make someone angry.
- Big lie A big lie — a tall tale or gross exaggeration, told to boast, entertain, or deceive.
- Big-head Two senses.
- Bloodfire An exclamation of anger, alarm, or righteous outrage — a call for 'fire', for judgment and…
- Bly A break, a chance, or a lenient reprieve — an opportunity or an easement given to someone…
- Boasty Boastful, show-offy, flashy — carrying on in a proud, look-at-me way, whether by bragging…
- Boasy Showy, proud, and eager to flaunt what one has — describing a person who dresses flashy…
- Boogooyaga Low-class, worthless, shabby, and of no account — and, as a noun, a ragamuffin or scruffy…
- Book-sense Academic, formal learning from school and books — as opposed to 'common sense', the…
- Braff To boast, brag, and show off — to make a loud, proud display of what you have or what you…
- Bragadaps Suddenly and with a crash or thud — an expressive word for something that happens all at…
- Breezy Cool and airy — of weather with a pleasant wind.
- Bright Beyond 'clever' or 'shining', in Patois 'bright' most often means cheeky, forward, and…
- Bringle Angry, vexed, and quick to flare up — hot-tempered and easily provoked.
- Broughtupsy Good manners and home training — the proper upbringing that shows in how a person behaves.
- Bruk To break — but reaching far beyond the plain sense: to be broke and penniless, to break…
- Chaka-chaka Untidy, disorderly, messy, or done in a careless, haphazard way.
- Chatty-chatty Gossipy and unable to keep quiet — a person who talks too much and spreads other people's…
- Chubble Trouble — 'chubble' is the everyday Patois pronunciation of 'trouble', the palatalised 'tr'…
- Chupid Stupid, foolish, dull-witted — the Patois pronunciation of 'stupid', with the 'st' softened…
- Cool Calm, relaxed, and all right — at ease and free of trouble.
- Crasses Troubles, misfortunes, and hardships — the burdens and afflictions a person has to bear.
- Craven Greedy, grasping, and excessively covetous — wanting far more than one needs, often to…
- Craven-eye Greedy-eyed — eyeing food or things hungrily and wanting more than your share, from…
- Crawny Scrawny, skinny, and sickly-looking — thin, meagre, and short on health or flesh.
- Cris biscuit Brand new, spotless, in mint condition — or, of a person, sharp, fresh, and good-looking.
- Criss Fresh, clean, brand new, and looking sharp — something in flawless, impressive condition.
- Cross Troublesome, difficult, or vexing — used of a person, a child, or a situation that brings…
- Cry-cry Given to crying — whiny, and quick to burst into tears over the smallest thing.
- Cubbitch Covetous, greedy, and grasping — begrudging others and hungry for more than one's share.
- Dead wid laugh To be dying of laughter — to laugh so hard and so helplessly that it feels as if it could…
- Dege-dege Mere;
- Dibby-dibby Worthless, inferior, weak, or second-rate — of poor quality and no account.
- Dog heart Hard-hearted, cruel, and without pity — used of a person so cold and merciless that they…
- Drinka A heavy drinker or drunkard — one who is always at the rum bar and fond of the white rum…
- Drunk Intoxicated with alcohol — but Jamaican speech has a whole ladder of intensifiers for it…
- Dry Dry — literally without moisture, but often figurative.
- Dry-yeye Brazen, shameless, and bold-faced — doing wrong or making outrageous demands without a…
- Dugu-dugu Heavy, thick, lumpy, or crudely made — used of food that is stodgy and badly cooked, or of…
- Dutty Literally dirty or filthy, but it also turns figurative — a cutting insult, or, in music…
- Faas Nosy, meddlesome, or impudently forward — poking into business that isn't yours.
- Facety Rude, impertinent, and cheeky — especially a person who speaks out of turn or shows a…
- Fala-fashin Imitative — copying whatever others do or wear, without a mind of one's own.
- Favor To resemble or look like — 'him favor him fada' means he looks like his father.
- Feel Besides the ordinary sense of touching or sensing, in Patois 'feel a way' means to take…
- Feel a way To take offence, feel hurt, or feel awkward and out of sorts about something — 'to feel…
- Fenke fenke Weak, frail, sickly, or flimsy — lacking strength, substance, or robustness, whether in a…
- Fine-fine Very fine, tiny, or finely divided — the doubling of 'fine' intensifies it, a common Patois…
- Foodie Someone ruled by their love of food — a big eater always thinking about, chasing, or fixed…
- Fool-fool Very foolish, silly, or simple-minded — the doubling of 'fool' intensifying it, describing…
- Force-ripe Ripened before its time — used both of fruit forced to ripen artificially before it is…
- Fraid Afraid, scared, frightened — the Patois form of 'afraid', with the unstressed first…
- Fraid-fraid Very afraid, timid, or easily frightened — the reduplication of 'fraid' (afraid)…
- Fraidy fraidy Timid, easily frightened, cowardly — 'fraidy' doubled for emphasis, describing someone who…
- Freeze Besides making cold, in Patois 'freeze up' means to become stiff with fear, shock, or…
- Fresh Clean, new, and stylish — 'him look fresh' means he's sharply dressed.
- Fret To worry, fuss, or be anxious — to trouble your mind over something.
- Frighten To be scared or startled — 'mi frighten' means 'I'm frightened'.
- Frownzy Foul-smelling, musty, and unwashed — the stale, sour reek of a body, clothes, or bedding…
- Glad Happy, pleased, joyful — the common Patois word for feeling glad about something.
- Glad-bag-bust Overjoyed;
- Gravalicious Greedy and grasping — wanting far more than one's share and unwilling to let anyone else…
- Greedy Greedy — grasping for more than one's share, especially of food.
- Gumption Drive, initiative, boldness, and common-sense get-up-and-go — the spirit to take action and…
- Gwaan bad To be doing extremely well, excelling, or thriving — where 'bad' is an intensifier meaning…
- Hard-ears Disobedient and won't listen — stubbornly ignoring advice, warnings, or instructions.
- Hard-head Stubborn and disobedient;
- Hataclaps A calamity, disaster, or great commotion — a sudden catastrophe that throws everything into…
- Haul and pull A constant struggle, tussle, or hard grind — the sense of life as a wearing back-and-forth…
- Heart drop The sudden sinking feeling of shock, fear, or dread — when your heart seems to drop in your…
- Hitey-titey Snobbish, stuck-up, and pretentious — putting on airs and looking down the nose at ordinary…
- Hot Beyond temperature, 'hot' means excellent, exciting, and the centre of attention — a 'hot'…
- Hot-temper Quick to anger;
- Hurry-come-up A person who has risen to money or status suddenly but lacks the manners or grace to match…
- Hype Flashy, showy, and attention-seeking — full of oneself.
- Jealous Jealous — envious of what another person has, or possessive over a lover.
- Jeezam A mild exclamation of surprise, shock, or frustration — 'jeez!', 'gosh!', 'goodness!'.
- Joyful Full of joy — happy, gladhearted, rejoicing.
- Juicy Full of juice — of a ripe, dripping mango or a sweet 'juicy' fruit.
- Langilala Very tall and thin — lanky, spindly, all length and no width.
- Lazy Lazy — unwilling to work or make effort.
- Licki-licki Greedy and grasping — above all for food or for anything free.
- Likkle Little or small — in size, amount, or degree.
- Likkle likkle Very small, or in tiny amounts — the reduplication of 'likkle' (little), which can either…
- Likky-likky Greedy for food — always wanting to 'lick' at whatever there is to eat, and especially at…
- Lonely Lonely — feeling alone and missing company or a loved one.
- Long-eye Covetous and greedy — casting a longing, grasping eye over what belongs to others and never…
- Maaga Thin, skinny, meagre — of a person, an animal, or by extension anything scant or poorly fed.
- Mad Mad — in Patois usually means mentally unwell or acting crazy, more than merely angry.
- Mad ting A crazy, wild, or unbelievable thing or situation — used both for something shockingly bad…
- Maga maga Very thin and scrawny, skin-and-bone — the reduplication of 'maga' (meagre, thin) doubling…
- Mannish Precocious and forward — used above all of a child, especially a boy, who acts too grown…
- Mash-up drunk Extremely, helplessly drunk — wrecked, falling-down intoxicated.
- Mean-mean Very stingy and tight-fisted — the reduplication of 'mean' (miserly) intensifying it.
- Medz A relaxed, thoughtful state of chilling and reflecting — a clipping of 'meditation'.
- Mek up mi face To screw up or contort the face in displeasure, disgust, or annoyance — a scowl that…
- Mi nuh care 'I don't care' — a flat statement of indifference or defiance, dismissing a threat, a rule…
- Mi tired 'I'm tired' — worn out, whether in body or in patience.
- Miserable Quarrelsome, troublesome, and hard to please — not merely unhappy, as in standard English…
- Niceness Enjoyment, good times, and pleasant vibes — the whole feeling of things being sweet and…
- Noice A playful, emphatic pronunciation of 'nice' — drawing the vowel out to 'noice' for extra…
- Nonsense Nonsense — foolishness, rubbish talk, or silly behaviour not to be entertained.
- Nuff laugh 'Plenty laughter' — a whole lot of laughing and good fun.
- Nyaga nyaga Ragged, messy, tangled, or in disorder — 'nyaga nyaga' describes something untidy and…
- Nyami-nyami Greedy or gluttonous — grabbing more than one's share of food, or eating without restraint.
- Out a timing Out of place;
- Palava Trouble, fuss, or commotion — a big to-do, a noisy quarrel, or a drawn-out argument that…
- Peng Attractive, excellent, or top-quality — of a good-looking person ('she peng'), or…
- Play-play Pretend;
- Poppyshow A spectacle or a laughing-stock — a ridiculous display that makes a fool of someone.
- Puss an dawg 'Cat and dog' — the emblem of two who don't get along, forever squabbling, like English…
- Raatid A mild exclamation of surprise, shock, or emphasis — close to 'wow!', 'my goodness!', or…
- Rad Bold, tough, and daring — sometimes admiringly, of a fearless, cool character, and…
- Ratty Ragged, worn-out, and shabby — used of clothes, hair, or things fallen into a tattered…
- Raw Besides uncooked, in slang 'raw' means hardcore, real, and unfiltered — the genuine, gritty…
- Red yeye Covetous and grasping — filled with envy and greed for what other people have.
- Red-eye Covetous and envious — casting a jealous 'red eye' on what other people have and wanting it…
- Renk Insolent and disrespectful — but also, literally, foul-smelling and rancid, and the two…
- Ripe Ripe — a fruit ready to eat, soft and sweet;
- Risto An uppity, snobbish person who acts high-class and looks down on others — a clipping of…
- Rude Badly behaved, disobedient, or disrespectful — especially of a child who won't listen or a…
- Saaka-saaka Untidy, messy, disorderly, and all over the place — a close cousin of 'chaka-chaka'.
- Sad-up Downcast and gloomy;
- Salt Unlucky;
- Screw To frown, scowl, or look vexed — to 'screw' or 'screw up yuh face' is to twist it into a…
- Screw-face A scowl — a hard, frowning, screwed-up face that shows anger, contempt, or a foul mood.
- Screwface A sour, scowling facial expression showing displeasure, hostility, or a bad mood;
- Shakey Unsteady, unreliable, or not to be trusted — of a person, plan, or thing you can't depend…
- Shame Embarrassed, shy, or bashful — as well as the feeling of shame itself.
- Shame a kill mi 'Shame a kill mi' — I'm dying of embarrassment.
- Shine eye Dazzled by and greedy for material things — used of a person, often a 'shine-eye gyal'…
- Show-off One who shows off — a person given to flashy, look-at-me display, flaunting their clothes…
- Sipple Slippery or slimy — hard to grip, like a wet rock, a bar of soap, or cut okra.
- Skin teet To grin or smile broadly — literally to 'skin' (draw back) the lips and bare the teeth.
- Skin up To screw up or wrinkle the face or nose in disgust, disdain, or displeasure.
- Slabba Flabby, loose, sloppy, and lacking firmness — of a soft, wobbly body, a limp handshake, or…
- Sleepy Beyond feeling drowsy, in Patois 'sleepy' describes a person who is dull, slow, and not…
- Sometime-ish Moody, unpredictable, and inconsistent — friendly one moment and cold the next, reliable…
- Sour Beyond the taste, 'sour' describes a sulky, bad-tempered, or spoiled mood — a 'sour face'…
- Stoosh Snobbish, upper-class, or putting on airs of refinement — describing someone who behaves as…
- Strong Strong — powerful in body, spirit, or effect.
- Stush Posh, high-class, and refined — or, less kindly, stuck-up and snobbish.
- Sufferation Suffering, hardship, and oppression — above all the long, grinding struggle of the poor and…
- Sweet Beyond 'sugary', 'sweet' in Patois means delicious, pleasing, or thoroughly enjoyable.
- Sweet-mouth Smooth, flattering talk used to charm, persuade, or win someone over — and a person who is…
- Tallawah Strong, sturdy, fearless, and full of fortitude despite small size — the word carrying the…
- Temper A fit of anger, and the disposition to anger — 'him inna him temper' means he's in a rage.
- Tinka A thinker — the Patois pronunciation of 'thinker', with the 'th' hardened to 't'.
- Topanoris Snobbish, uppity, and high-society — stuck-up and putting on grand, upper-class airs.
- Toppa The very best — the top of the top.
- Trickify Tricky, cunning, and deceptive — given to tricks and sly manoeuvres.
- True-true Absolutely true, genuine, the real thing — 'true' doubled for emphasis, a classic Patois…
- Tuff Hard, difficult, or unyielding — 'life tuff' means times are hard, and 'di work tuff' means…
- Twang A foreign or affected accent — especially an American or British one, real or put on…
- Up inna di air 'Up in the air' — unsettled and undecided, or, of a person, putting on airs and acting…
- Vex Angry, annoyed, cross — and as a verb, to anger someone.
- Vex-up Worked up and angry;
- Vexation Annoyance, aggravation, or a source of anger — the state of being 'vex' (angry), or the…
- Vibes The feeling, energy, or atmosphere of a place, person, or moment — the whole mood of a…
- Wanga-gut Greedy and gluttonous — with an insatiable, grasping appetite for food, and by extension…
- Weary Tired and worn out — bone-tired from hard work or a long day.
- Wicked Two nearly opposite things, told apart by tone.
- Winjy Small, thin, and puny — undersized and often sickly-looking.
- Woi An exclamation of sudden pain, alarm, or distress — 'ow!', 'oh no!', 'oh dear!' It bursts…
- Worried Worried, anxious, troubled in the mind — weighed down by concern over money, a sick…
- Wutliss Describes a person who is lazy, irresponsible, and of no good use — especially someone who…
- Yuh mad 'Are you crazy?' — an incredulous challenge to someone saying or doing something foolish…