What does tbh mean

‘Tbh’ no longer just stands for ‘to be honest’ on Instagram

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«Tbh,» the acronym that stands for «to be honest,» has taken on a different meaning since it was first adopted by teens.

The Washington Post recently profiled a 13-year-old girl and focused on her social-media use. She explained that on Instagram, a «tbh» is used to say something nice about your friends.

«[This girl] gets so many likes on her pictures because she’s posted over nine pictures saying, ‘Like all my pictures for a tbh, comment when done,'» she told The Washington Post. «So everyone will like her pictures, and she’ll just give them a simple tbh.»

While «tbh» still means «to be honest» or sometimes «to be heard,» it’s no longer associated with an insult («I’m just being honest!»), but with compliments. In The Washington Post’s example, the teen girl, after getting her likes, would then write a simple «tbh you’re pretty» on commenters’ pictures.

It was still a little confusing, so we turned to today’s teens to break it down further for us. I asked a few Instagram-savvy high-schoolers to explain to me (through text, where else?) what a tbh means to them.

A tbh is almost like an Instagram currency — you can trade a tbh for a like on one of your photos.

«[You] post a picture saying something like ‘like for a tbh or comment for a tbh,'» Sammy says. After they get their like, comment, or follow, the teen will then go to give a tbh on a user’s last post or direct message them on the app, she explains.

There are myriad reasons why a teen might do this: They’re bored, hoping to connect with a crush, to get a confidence boost, or simply to accrue more likes and followers.

A tbh is also a way to talk to someone you normally wouldn’t talk to, Sammy explains to TI. Those people are usually friends of friends, or people teens may not have necessarily met in person, but are separated by only one or two degrees of friendship.

Kevin, also a freshman in high school, explains to TI that a tbh is «a way for people to let a certain person know how they feel about them, like if they want to get closer and talk to them.»

But even though tbh can mean «to be honest,» that doesn’t always mean these posts reveal the truth.

«I don’t think people tell the truth all the time, because no one would want to be mean or rude,» says Catherine, a 15-year-old. Sammy confirmed this, saying most people probably aren’t being completely honest. In the interest of not being mean, sometimes they’ll go for the obvious truths, like «saying that person is nice, or they are in some of the same classes,» says Catherine.

«I don’t lie,» Dan, another 15-year-old, says. «If someone likes [my Instagram post] who I don’t have anything nice to say to, I just don’t give them a tbh.»

So there you have it: «Tbh» is no longer a snarky remark or a signal that you’re about to seriously set the record straight. It’s a way to connect with others and drop a compliment while you’re at it.

What does TBH mean? (TBH full form) on Facebook, Instagram, Texting

TBH full form = To Be Honest

Use this phrase before or after a statement to emphasize that you are stating an honest opinion. Variations on this phrase include “To be perfectly honest (with you),” “In all honesty,” and “In my opinion.”

TBH can be used in this manner, or as a confession to a prior lie.

Accurate meaning | Accurate in a Sentence | Most common words in English #shorts

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Usually, this abbreviation is texted over the phone or some other messaging platform (like on Facebook or Instagram). Young people who tend to text often or are trying to be funny use TBH in spoken speech as well.

Spell: When spoken, it is pronounced T-B-H (ti-bi-aitch).

Synonyms For TO BE HONEST

Synonyms for To Be Honest Examples

TBH Origin

Modern abbreviations such as TBH, or LOL, FYI, and others, have become so common that they are often used in spoken English.

This “abbreviation culture” has transitioned into daily speech thanks to the popularity and convenience of such phrases. Today’s culture is one of speed and quickness, where people don’t have time to discuss things for longer periods. Abbreviations such as TBH make sure you get the point across quickly.

Also, note that there is no standard capitalization or punctuation for TBH and similar phrases. Since texted speech itself is not very standardized.

Young people tend to write it out lowercase (either tbh or Tbh), with or without a comma following it. Those who are less tech-savvy might spell it out in all caps (TBH).

(Over text)

A: what are you up to right now?

B: not much. I’m pretty bored TBH

A: wanna go to the bowling party tonight?

B: TBH, not really…

A: LOL why? seems like you don’t have anything better to do.

(In person)

A: I feel like so many people can’t wait for the school year to be over.

B: Oh, yeah. TBH, I’m one of them.

A: What plans do you have for this summer?

TBH Meaning: What Does TBH Mean? Useful Text Conversations

What does TBH mean? In this lesson, you will learn the definition and how to use this text abbreviation with ESL infographic and useful conversation examples in English.

Table of Contents

TBH Meaning

What Does TBH Mean?

“TBH” means “to be honest.”

The phrase “TBH” can be used quite often throughout the day.

People who use this phrase often put it at the beginning or the end of a statement. It shows that the user is expressing their honest opinion about the subject.

Similar internet slang words

Similar expressions include “JBH” or “just being honest,” “LBH” or “let’s be honest,” and “TBBH” or “to be brutally honest.”

In the past, most people used this expression when delivering some information that might upset or offend another person. The implication is that the person saying something isn’t trying to hurt the feelings of the other person, but they are expressing their honest opinion.

Lately, the phrase has taken on a different meaning among younger Instagram users. They see “TBH” as a way to give compliments to others. Some have also said this can be interpreted as, “to be heard.”

Conversation Examples

Here are a few examples:

Example 1:

In this situation, we have a conversation between two co-workers. Co-worker 1 is talking about a recent change in the procedure at their office. Co-worker 2 uses TBH to show that she is expressing her honest opinion about the situation.

Example 2:

Here have two friends talking about their other friend, Alice. Friend 1 compliments Alice on her appearance. Friend 2 uses TBH to show she is not trying to say anything bad about Alice, but that she is stating her honest opinion about her appearance.

Example 3:

This is an example of a social media post using “TBH.” In this situation, the poster asks for other users to like her content and leave a comment in return for a “TBH.” Here we see that this texting abbreviation is used as a noun or something the other person can give. If people like her content, she will give her honest opinion about them. Unlike the previous examples, the opinion expressed here is meant to be a positive comment about the people who like her content.

What Does ‘TBH’ Mean?

TBH, it can be complimentary or critical

TBH is typically used to express an honest opinion about a topic or situation («to be honest») but can also be used to show appreciation («to be heard») on social media sites like Instagram.

The Original Meaning of TBH

TBH began as the acronym for «to be honest» and was later duplicated to mean «to be heard.» It is often used when someone is trying to be frank while discussing an uncomfortable or controversial topic. For example:

How TBH is Used as ‘To Be Heard’

Somewhere along the line, TBH was adopted by teens, predominantly those on social media sites such as Instagram and Tumblr, where it was used to attract attention. It took on a complementary meaning, and the acronym itself became a positive comment to show the someone’s opinion was heard (‘to be heard’ translates to TBH in those cases).

In particular, it was used to solicit likes on Instagram, for example:

As a result, depending on context, TBH can be critical or complimentary. When it is used to comment on another person’s physical appearance sarcastically, it is harmful. When someone posts a photo and receives a «TBH, this is a great pic of you!» the intent is complimentary.

A mini-movement built up around TBH that encouraged teens to express their honest feelings about a person or idea, but like many other well-intentioned ideas, this one was co-opted and by some people online to bully or vent. Eventually, the term fell out of popularity but it is stilled used by some.

Similar Internet Acronyms

Perhaps because of the increased awareness of online bullying, TBH has fallen out of the top 50 trending internet slang terms. However, plenty of «honest» acronyms remain, including:

Parents Be Aware

Internet acronyms are part of the online experience, and your children probably know more of them than you do. However, they may not understand that some acronyms are hurtful. What can parents do? Remind your kids that words can hurt. Just because they have the tech skills to communicate online doesn’t mean they have the maturity to handle every situation they encounter.

When they are old enough, explain the concept of cyberbullying. For young children, it makes sense to monitor their communications. If you see any texts that are suggestive or of a bullying nature, discuss the potential harm honestly with your child.

Tbh: To Be Honest, the Meaning is Perfectly Clear

Informal written communication is littered with abbreviations that to the uninitiated can be completely opaque. But these abbreviations say so much so quickly that once the initiation has occurred the path to adoption is hindered only by whatever degree of disdain one might feel for such expediencies. The abbreviations are, tbh (er, that is, «to be honest»), so very useful that it can be difficult to decide to eschew them just because they lack a certain elegance. Even the best writers use them informally, fwiw (uh, «for what it’s worth»).

Though ‘tbh’ («to be honest») is well established in informal communication, it appears less frequently in published, edited text. That’s why it isn’t in the dictionary.

The problem, of course, is when one’s reader is among those unfortunate uninitiated. If the wielder of the opaque abbreviations doesn’t know (or doesn’t care) about the reader’s uninitiated status, the reader has to either guess at the meaning or wander away to discover it. Not at all desirable, imo («in my opinion»). (Note: If we wanted to express either an amount of diffidence or a flat-out rejection of diffidence, we’d use imho or imnsho: «in my humble opinion» or «in my not so humble opinion,» respectively.)

Btw (that’s «by the way»), abbreviations like these are not a new phenomenon. We have evidence of OMG («oh my God») dating to 1917, and FYI («for your information») dates to at least as early as the 1940s. But it is certainly true that computers (including the ones that are the phones in our pockets) have led to the creation and dissemination of scads of new ones. Afaik («as far as I know»), most of the other abbreviations mentioned so far date at least to the early days of Usenet, which began in the 1980s.

And yet, most of these abbreviations have yet to be entered into our dictionaries. Why is that, you might ask? Well, lexicographers encounter these abbreviations in the same way everyone else does—that is, in informal written communication, and not, as a rule, in the usual environs of good dictionary candidates (i.e., published, edited text like newspapers, magazines, and books). To qualify for entry, abbreviations must demonstrate what any definiendum demonstrates: evidence of an established meaning in sustained, widespread use. That evidence is simply harder to collect when it’s concentrated in the texts sent between you and your BFF.

That’s not the only place they exist, though, and afaic («as far as I’m concerned»), these are candidates worthy of consideration.

Words We’re Watching talks about words we are increasingly seeing in use but that have not yet met our criteria for entry.