What Does the Word ‘Himbo’ Mean?

THE INTERNET, IN classic fashion, created a new vocab word recently: the “himbo”.

The word, which is a portmanteau of “him” and “bimbo,” skyrocketed into modern vernacular following a 2020 Twitter controversy (of course). Since then, folks on social media have been arguing over the word’s meaning and whether or not it’s socially acceptable to call someone a himbo. Some people say the word is inappropriate, some women have been professing their love for himbos, and a select group of men have proudly claimed the label.

If you’re unsure what himbo means and whether it’s OK to use the word, you’ve come to the right place.

What exactly is a himbo?

Merriam Webster Dictionary defines himbo as “an attractive but vacuous man,” but that definition just scratches the surface on the word’s true meaning.

Urban Dictionary, the go-to Dictionary on all slang, describes a himbo as “generally, a large (broad, tall, or buff) attractive man, who tends to be not very bright, but usually extremely nice and respectful. Think Kronk from The Emperor’s New Groove, or maybe a golden retriever.”

This definition, while still not complete, does a better job of illustrating the personality of a himbo. A key element to a himbo is his heart of gold. He’s a man who means well, intends to put good out in the world, and has unwavering optimism in the face of adversity. Hercules, from the animated Disney film, is a prime example of a himbo.

According to GQ, the himbo’s specialty is that “his good deeds come without motive.” This plays a particular role in how he treats women. “A himbo will support women not for the promise of sex, but because they genuinely believe in supporting women,” according to an op-ed in Mashable. In short, a himbo is what your mother would describe as a good, simple man.

“Simple” being the key word here. While the himbo is sweet and does things for the right reasons, he is not particularly complex, and doesn’t have a ton of in depth thought or opinion. Because of that, they might be a bit oblivious or easily swindled, but this also means they are generally mild-tempered and, to coin another internet term, unproblematic.

Where does the word “himbo” come from?

Of course, the word comes from “bimbo,” which ironically, used to be a word to describe simple men as early as the 1920s. Over the following years, the meaning changed to describe an attractive yet unintelligent woman.

Himbo rose to popularity in the late ’80s, when Rita Kempley, The Washington Post’s longtime film critic wrote a piece titled, “THE HIMBO ALL POWERFUL AND ALL BEEF! IT’S THE REEL MEN!!!” (Yes, the piece was printed in all caps, with “reel,” and three exclamation points.)

The piece starts:

“Their chest measurements rival Dolly Parton’s. Their brains would embarrass a squid. They ballyhoo Maidenform undies, do nude scenes and are wildly popular with both girls and boys. They come in two varieties—greased and armed-to-the-teeth or moussed and undressed-to-die-for. They’re bombshells with a Y chromosome.

Bimbo begone! Hollywood has blessed us with the himbo.”

Kempley was specifically referencing the personalities of action heroes of the ’80s: Think Schwarzenegger, Stallone, and the rising Van Damme. Since Kempley’s use, himbo has taken on a more complex meaning, one that focuses less on pecs and more on a childlike innocence and compassion.

What’s the controversy surrounding himbos?

In 2020, influencer Fangirl Jeanne tweeted to her 13,000 followers: “ ‘Himbo’ is ableist. I find fetishizing someone’s supposed lack of intelligence to be predatory. Why would you desire someone who seemingly has less power than you? Why is that sexy? Why is that different from praying on underage kids? It’s not.”

Some commenters verbally attacked her for equating himbo attraction to pedophilia, and for insinuating that “unintelligent” people are incapable of making romantic decisions. She since apologized and clarified her stance, and the tweet has since been deleted.

Fangirl Jeanne’s initial tweet contributed to the clarification of himbo’s meaning, and perhaps even created a slightly new iteration of the word. Commenters noted that when it comes to the modern day himbo, the focus is on his heart, rather than his mind.

So, can you call someone a himbo?

I mean, it’s still a bit insulting.

While you are calling them kind, you also are calling them simple. It’s easy to see how one might not love hearing that. But if you’re comfortable knowing that you’re not the sharpest tool in the shed, and you are tender of heart, then feel free to claim it yourself. Many women love himbos.