ערס
ars
Thug, low-class lout (derogatory).
What does it literally mean — and what do Israelis actually mean?
What it literally means
Literal: "pimp."
אל תנהג כמו ערס, תוריד את המוסיקה.Al tenaheg kmo ars, terid et ha-musika.Don't act like a lout, turn the music down.
What Israelis actually mean
"thug, low-class lout, sleazeball" — with a social sting beyond the gloss.
השכונה שלנו שקטה, בלי ערסים.Ha-shchuna shelanu shketah, bli arsim.Our neighborhood is quiet, no thugs.
Where did this word come from?
From Arabic عرص (ʿarṣ), "pimp" — entered Israeli Hebrew as a derogatory term for a low-class, sleazy, aggressive man; Balashon notes the Arabic source explicitly. The feminine arsit and the derived stereotype world (arsim vs frechot) developed inside Israel. The Arabic etymon is standard in slang lexicography; earliest written attestations mid-20th century.
Register & social context
Derogatory slang; codes class and (often) Mizrahi stereotypes. Safer about behavior ("don't act like an ars") than about people.
Root & morphology
Loan. The Hebrew root ע.ר.ס ("bed," biblical ערש) is unrelated — a noted false friend. Derived adjective: arsi (ערסי, loutish).
Influences & contact languages
- Arabic· contactPalestinian Arabic ʿarṣ, "pimp" → Israeli street/army slang → general (still derogatory) register.
Which places are associated with this word?
This word travels through people, not places — so we don't pin it.
See where it lives in the language constellationHear it in the wild
אל תנהג כמו ערס, תוריד את המוסיקה.
Al tenaheg kmo ars, terid et ha-musika.
Don't act like a lout, turn the music down.
השכונה שלנו שקטה, בלי ערסים.
Ha-shchuna shelanu shketah, bli arsim.
Our neighborhood is quiet, no thugs.
What English speakers get wrong
Not a synonym for generic "jerk"; it codes class and (often) Mizrahi stereotypes — using it about people (rather than behavior) can be offensive. Also unrelated to the biblical "eres" (bed).
What lives next to this word?
See the language constellation
Follow this word into a guided story
Sources & review
Want to use this word? Understand it inside a full sentence — Open Baba →