ponce
/pɔns/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A pimp, especially in British slang: A man who controls prostitutes and arranges clients for them, taking part of their earnings.
- A derogatory term for an effeminate or overly fastidious man: Used to describe a man perceived as being excessively concerned with his appearance and manners in a way stereotypically associated with women.
Usage Examples
Noun (Pimp):
- The police arrested the ponce who was exploiting vulnerable women on the street.
- He was nothing more than a ponce, living off the earnings of others.
Noun (Effeminate man):
- The critic dismissed the actor as a mere ponce, more interested in his wardrobe than his performance.
- Old-fashioned bullies might call a stylish man a ponce.
Advanced Usage
- The term is primarily used in British and Australian English and is considered vulgar and highly offensive.
- It can function as a verb in British slang (to ponce about/around), meaning to act in a silly, effeminate, or ineffective way.
- Stop poncing about and help me with this heavy box!
Variants and Related Words
- Poncey (adj, chiefly British, offensive): Describing something or someone as effeminate, pretentious, or overly fancy.
- He refused to go to that poncey restaurant with the tiny portions.
Synonyms
- For "pimp": Procurer, panderer.
- For "effeminate man" (all derogatory): Dandy, fop, popinjay.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Ponce off (v, British slang, offensive): To sponge or live off someone else.
- He's just poncing off his friends until he finds a job.
Important Notes
- "Ponce" is a strong pejorative term. Its use referring to a pimp is a serious accusation of criminal exploitation. Its use to describe an effeminate man is homophobic and sexist, reinforcing harmful stereotypes about masculinity.
- Due to its offensive nature, it is rarely used in formal or polite conversation.
Noun
- someone who procures customers for whores (in England they call a pimp a ponce)
- a man who is effeminate in his manner and fussy in the way he dresses