himbo

English

Etymology

Blend of him +‎ bimbo, first recorded in 1988 and likely influenced by sex scandals in the US politics around the time.[1][2]

Pronunciation
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈhɪmbəʊ/
  • (US) enPR: hĭm'bō, IPA(key): /ˈhɪmboʊ/
  • Audio (AU)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪmbəʊ

Noun

himbo (plural himbos)

  1. (sometimes derogatory, slang) A physically attractive man who lacks intelligence; the male equivalent of a bimbo.
    • 1991 August 12, Stuart Emmrich, “‘Himbo’ Flexes His Pecs in U.K. Ads”, in Adweek, volume 41, page 16:
      ‘Himbo’ Flexes His Pecs in U.K. Ads [title]
    • 2022 March 31, David Yaffe-Bellany, “Ben McKenzie Would Like a Word With the Crypto Bros”, in The New York Times‎, →ISSN:
      […] a reboot in which a cryptocurrency billionaire, maybe the son of Luke Ward, whose series arc traces an evolution from villain to beloved himbo, moves to Newport Beach and takes control of the local real estate market.

Synonyms

Translations

See also

References
  1. Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “bimbo”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
  2. Paul Anthony Jones (2017) “Bimbo Was Originally a Man”, in The Accidental Dictionary, Pegasus Books, →ISBN, page 21:
    But by the later twentieth century the male version [of "bimbo"] had all but vanished, thanks largely to a number of high-profile scandals involving beautiful young women and older businessmen (which led to the Wall Street Journal famously dubbing 1987 'The Year of the Bimbo'). In fact, by the late 1980s the word had become so exclusively female that a male equivalent had to be reinvented – the earliest record of the himbo dates from 1988.

Further reading
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