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Dictionaryinternet slang

What does TBH mean?

TBH = To Be Honest

Short for “to be honest” — the original softener before an opinion.

TBH is the longest-running honesty-prefix in chat. It signals that what follows is the writer’s real opinion, often slightly more candid than they would otherwise be.

Sits in a cluster with NGL, IMO and FWIW. TBH is the most neutral; NGL leans newer and more casual; IMO is more opinion-flagging than honesty-flagging.

Lowercase by default.

Examples

How TBH reads in the wild.

  • “tbh i’d rather just stay in tonight”
  • “tbh the second album is better than the first”

Where you’ll see it

InstagramTikTokXiMessage

Common questions

What does TBH mean?

TBH stands for "To Be Honest". Short for “to be honest” — the original softener before an opinion.

How is TBH used?

TBH is the longest-running honesty-prefix in chat. It signals that what follows is the writer’s real opinion, often slightly more candid than they would otherwise be. Sits in a cluster with NGL, IMO and FWIW. TBH is the most neutral; NGL leans newer and more casual; IMO is more opinion-flagging than honesty-flagging. Lowercase by default.

Where will I see TBH?

TBH is commonly used on Instagram, TikTok, X, iMessage.

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