neg

1 of 2

verb

ˈneg 

negging; negged; negs

transitive verb

informal

: to manipulate the emotions of (someone) by using usually mild insults or backhanded compliments with the intention of eroding their confidence and self-esteem

He negged me the entire date, he insulted my degree and he kept looking at the woman next to our table. I said "nope!" and ghosted him.

—@batimafernardes, on Reddit

He keeps telling Robin how sexy she is while clumsily trying to neg her.

—Brandon Nowalk

Because the insult is often wrapped in humor, the person being negged might blame themselves for being oversensitive or unable to take a joke.

—Emma Glassman-Hughes

negging noun

Negging … is a manipulation method used by some people you date to make you feel inferior. Why? Because they think by putting you down, you'll work twice as hard to impress them.

—Cosmopolitan

neg

2 of 2

abbreviation

1

negative

2

negotiable

Examples of neg in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Obsessed with Carolyn taking literally any excuse to neg John. —Emma Specter, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2026

While the two brothers neg each other about who has functioning legs and who has a functioning brain and which one of those the clan is going to prefer, Ellen is left to fend off a whole host of suitors. —Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2025

Liam has been notably antagonistic on social media since the tour was announced, going so far as to neg Oasis fans who were left frustrated by the on-sale experience for their reunion shows next year. —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably verbal derivative of neg, noun (or neg-hit or -hitting) "an instance of negging," short for negative entry 1

Note: A "negative hit" is presumably an overture to a woman that focuses on what are taken to be her unappealing features. A verb neg is attested slightly earlier in the sense "to reject, refuse (admission)."

First Known Use

Verb

1998, in the meaning defined above