rishus

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Pronunciations

rishus (RISH-es) listen

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Definitions

  • n. Malice, cruelty.

  • adv. (intensifier) Very.

Example Sentences

  • "Simple rishus made the teacher give us extra homework." (Weiser)

  • "I want Arvei Psachim with a Rabbeinu Dovid, rishus cold seltzer, and I just want to check out of life." (source)

  • “Hitler's rishus is recognized by even the least sympathetic goyim.” (Weiser)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • TH רִשְׁעוּת⁩ rish'út 'wickedness' > Y רישעות rishes 'malice, cruelty'

      • Who Uses This

      • Orthodox: Jews who identify as Orthodox and observe halacha (Jewish law)
      • Older: Jews who are middle-aged and older
      • Ashkenazim: Jews with Ashkenazi heritage

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • Frumspeak: The First Dictionary of Yeshivish, by Chaim Weiser (Northvale, 1995).
      • Yiddish and English: A Century of Yiddish in America, by Sol Steinmetz (Tuscaloosa, 1986).

      Alternative Spellings

      rishut, rishes

Notes

  • The adverb usage is a Jewish English innovation, likely influenced by the English adverb "wicked," as in "wicked cool." This usage was popularized in 2022 by a viral video in Yeshivish.

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