N00B

What Does N00B Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

N00B means "Inexperienced or New Person."

More Observations...

N00B (with two zeros) is a version of NOOB (with two Os). Both terms are derived from NEWBIE, which means "Inexperienced or New Person." N00B is used in chat forums and in the gaming community to describe a newcomer who has little or no previous experience. Unlike the term NEWBIE, which is typically used positively in recognition of someone's inexperience, N00B is typically used in a derogatory manner (i.e., as an insult), especially when talking about someone who acts in an arrogant, selfish or disrespectful way. N00B is often used to refer to the type of NEWBIE that uses a derivative of the hacker language, without really understanding how it works. (Hacker language involves deliberate misspellings and the use of numbers to replace letters.) The numbers 00 in N00B are used in place of the letter OO in NOOB, to mock the misuse of the hacker language by N00Bs.

Image for N00B

When I write N00B, I mean this:

N00B is a deliberate misspelling of "NOOB."

Summary of Key Points

We have summarized the key points in the table below:

N00B
Definition:	Inexperienced or New Person
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	2: Quite easy to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Examples of N00B in Sentences

Here's an example of N00B in conversation:

• Gamer 1: Hey N00B, where are you going? Stick with us!
• NEWBIE: Wh0 u c4ll1n N00B?! 1 kn0 waht 1'm d0in.
• Gamer 1: Obviously. That's why you just triggered that booby trap and nearly got us all killed.
• NEWBIE: Scr3w u, l053r.

An Academic Look at NEWBIE

N00B is a noun (i.e., a naming word), derived from the portmanteau word NEWBIE. NEWBIE is formed by amalgamating the words new and either boy or a contraction of blood. Both N00B and NEWBIE are slang words. Slang refers to words, phrases and uses of language that are regarded as very informal and which are often restricted to a special context or a particular group of users.

What Did We Say before Texting and Social Media?

Before the digital era, we might have said something like "know-it-all" or "wise guy" instead of using N00B.

Using Numbers in Texts

This video shows the different ways that numbers are used in "text speak":

Example of N00B Used in a Text

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