bovver
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Violence, especially that associated with youth gangs.
Register: slang
Examples
In London there are some thirty gangs of “bovver birds,” violence-prone girls who roam the streets in packs attacking almost any vulnerable object for no apparent reason other than the sheer thrill of it.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “bovver” mean?
Violence, especially that associated with youth gangs.
Is “bovver” formal or informal?
bovver is generally slang.