Definition

1. Noun:
   • A variant of "one": In informal or dialectal British English, "un" is a colloquial shortening of the word "one," used to refer to a person or thing.

     • He's a good 'un. (He is a good one.)
     • That's a big 'un. (That is a big one.)

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • She's a tough 'un, that one. (She is a tough person.)
  • I need a new 'un for the job. (I need a new one for the task.)

Advanced Usage

• "a bad 'un": a person or thing that is bad or of poor quality.

  • Watch out for that bloke — he's a bad 'un. (Be cautious of that man; he is a bad person.)

• "a good 'un": a person or thing that is good, excellent, or amusing.

  • That joke was a good 'un! (That joke was a good one!)

Variants and Related Words

• 'Un (contraction): The word is almost always written with an apostrophe before it (as a contraction of "one") in informal writing.
  • I've got a little 'un at home. (I have a small child at home.)

Synonyms

• One: the standard form of the word.
• Individual: a single person or thing.

Related Idioms

• None of your 'uns: (rare, dialectal) not one of your kind or group.
  • He's none of your 'uns, he's from another town. (He is not one of your group; he is from elsewhere.)

Notes

• This word is highly informal and typically used in British English dialects (e.g., Cockney, Northern English) or in casual speech. It is rarely used in formal writing or standard English.