schlub
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A person who is clumsy, oafish, socially awkward, unattractive or unkempt.
Register: derogatory, informal, slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
It wasn’t sufficient for Mother to use the rolling pin on that hapless brother of mine; she’d also call him Zlob, or Cham, another Polish term for an awkward peasant, something that a son of a nice Jewish family should never be.
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 “schlub” mean?
A person who is clumsy, oafish, socially awkward, unattractive or unkempt.
Is “schlub” formal or informal?
schlub is generally derogatory, informal, slang.