Slur

a derogatory word/phrase manipulated by its target audience so that only they can use it. If anyone else uses it, even as a joke, they are automatically prejudiced against the affected group and they can't do anything about it
There are, however, no slurs against anyone who is male, white, straight, or wealthy

2025 Update 4 Changelog:
New slur:
Phrase - "strict equality"
Target - "homosexuals"
Reason - the term "strict equality" is a reference to javascript's === operator, which returns true if both equal values are the same type

by Echold2006 June 15, 2022

Slur Slinger

The one and only who holds the egregious title, Eden T. Bajoinga

"Many of heard of him, but no one has ever seen them. The one and only, The Slur Slinger himself, Eden T. Bajoinga."

by Hoobadobious Maximus June 23, 2022

Science Slurs

Pejorative terms used within and against scientific discourse to shut down inquiry, attack researchers' motives, or caricature positions without engagement. They are rhetorical weapons that replace argument with dismissal. On one side, terms like "pseudoscientist," "crank," or "denier" can be applied too broadly to shut down heterodox but legitimate questioning. On the other, terms like "lab-coat priest," "scientism," or "so-called expert" are used to delegitimize scientific consensus itself by framing it as a dogmatic religion.

Example: In a debate on GMOs, a scientist is called a "Monsanto shill," instantly dismissing their data as corrupt. Conversely, a philosopher questioning the limits of reductionism is labeled a "woo-peddler" or "anti-science." Terms like "climate alarmist" or "evolutionist" are crafted to frame scientific consensus as ideological. These slurs pollute the epistemic commons, turning discussions into tribal warfare where identity, not evidence, determines belief. Science Slurs.

by Dumuabzu January 25, 2026

Medical Slurs

Derogatory terms or labels, often disguised as clinical language, used to discredit, demean, or pathologize a person's lived experience, identity, or health complaints. These are not formal diagnoses but weaponized pseudo-clinical terms deployed to dismiss patients (especially from marginalized groups) by implying their problems are "all in their head," a sign of weakness, or a character flaw. They shortcut medical investigation by blaming the patient.

Example: A woman with debilitating, unexplained chronic pain is told she's just "hysterical" (a term with a deeply sexist history pathologizing the uterus). A patient with complex symptoms is labeled a "frequent flyer" or "hypochondriac" by staff, ensuring their future concerns are met with eye-rolls, not exams. The slur "crocks" (for patients with "crock" of complaints) is used in some hospital slang. These terms serve to gatekeep medical resources and absolve clinicians from diagnostic effort. Medical Slurs.

by Dumuabzu January 25, 2026

Anti-Pseudoscience Slurs

Hyperbolic, derogatory terms used to instantly dismiss and ridicule individuals or ideas that deviate from mainstream scientific consensus, often without engaging their specific claims. While motivated by defense of science, these slurs (e.g., "flatard," "anti-vaxxer" used as a pure epithet, "conspiritard," "woo-woo") function as thought-terminating clichés. They replace reasoned rebuttal with tribal mockery, attacking the person's intelligence or sanity rather than their arguments. This often backfires, reinforcing the target's identity as a persecuted truth-seeker and cementing their in-group loyalty.

Example: In an online debate about GMOs, someone expresses concern about long-term ecological impacts. Instead of addressing the specific concern about monocultures or pesticide resistance, a respondent immediately calls them a "Luddite" and a "science-denier." The slur shuts down conversation. The concerned person, now insulted, retreats to communities that validate their fears, viewing the mainstream as dogmatic and abusive. The slur didn't protect science; it weaponized its label and created an enemy. Anti-Pseudoscience Slurs.

by Dumuabzu January 25, 2026

Cognitive Slurs

Insulting terms that weaponize concepts from cognitive psychology to demean someone's thinking process as inherently defective. These slurs pathologize disagreement by diagnosing the opponent with a cognitive flaw (e.g., "You're just Dunning-Krugerandized," "That's pure cognitive dissonance," "Your confirmation bias is showing"). While these are real biases, using them as casual insults strips them of their scientific meaning and turns them into sophisticated ad hominem attacks. It's a way of saying "You're too stupid to know you're stupid" while pretending to be objective.

Example: In a political debate, Person A presents a statistic. Person B, disagreeing, doesn't engage with the data source but retorts, "You're just experiencing backfire effect; your fragile worldview can't handle facts." This slur allows Person B to claim the high ground of psychological insight while functionally calling Person A an irrational idiot. It psychologizes the disagreement, making productive discourse impossible because any counter-argument can be dismissed as further proof of the alleged bias. Cognitive Slurs.

by Dumuabzu January 25, 2026

Psychological Slurs

Terms that use mental health concepts as generic insults to imply instability, irrationality, or weakness. These slurs (e.g., "You're paranoid," "She's hysterical," "That's psychotic," "Don't be so borderline") take serious clinical conditions and deploy them to dismiss emotional reactions, legitimate concerns, or unconventional beliefs. They are the modern equivalent of calling someone "insane" to win an argument, and they massively contribute to the stigma around mental illness by making diagnoses synonymous with being wrong or unhinged.

Example: A community organizer expresses passionate, urgent concern about a local environmental hazard. A corporate representative, aiming to discredit them, tells the media the organizer is "histrionic" and "prone to panic attacks," subtly framing their advocacy as a symptom of mental instability rather than a reasoned response to threat. The slur pathologizes justified emotion and civic engagement, shifting the discussion from "is there a hazard?" to "is the complainant sound of mind?" Psychological Slurs.

by Dumuabzu January 25, 2026