herbert
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
A working-class youth, especially male.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
It was the Ulster Annual Jamboree. For weeks past, hundreds of spotty-faced herberts, with yodelling voices and chin fuzz, had tied three million knots, started ten thousand twig fires, and completed six hundred leaf fires; perfect training for round about 3000BC but bloody useless in the twentieth
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).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
A foolish or contemptible person, especially male.
Register: slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “herbert” mean?
A working-class youth, especially male.
Is “herbert” formal or informal?
herbert is generally slang.