Are you playing a video game with your friend and want a fun way to call out the bad guy? Or even in real life, do you have a mean boss that you want a clever nickname for? Maybe a big boss is headed over to smash your player and you want to sound the alarm?
If so, “BBEG” may be the term for you. In this post, the meaning and origin of the phrase “BBEG”, as well as its correct usage of it, will be explained.
Meaning
The shorthand “BBEG” is an abbreviation for “big bad evil guy/girl”. This is typically used to refer to the villain or the boss in a video game, but can also be used in reference to a particularly mean or evil person in real life. It is used as a noun to refer to the villain or person instead of using their actual name.
When spoken out loud, the phrase may be pronounced by saying each individual letter or, occasionally, is pronounced as “beg”. It is used primarily in the gaming community but may be used in real-life settings, though this is typically less common. More information can be found in the video (here).
Example Uses
“The BBEG is in the next level!”
“My boss was being a real BBEG at the office the other day”.
“The BBEG looks like a witch!”
“Watch out, here comes the BBEG!”
“That guy Tim is such a BBEG”.
“You are always looking for villains in your games, but I have a BBEG I face daily”.
Origin
Video games have been around since the 1950s, and with them, some have many different slang terms. “BBEG” is believed to be inspired in part by the TV show “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, in which they used the phrase “Big Bad”, and it is theorized to have later evolved into “big bad evil guy”. But in 2001, “BBEG” was found in an archived post made to a Dungeons and Dragons discussion board that served as a dictionary for many terms used in D&D lore, and has been used commonly in the game ever since. The term has now evolved to become a common phrase used to refer to any villain or bad guy in video games.
Phrases Similar to BBEG
- Villain
- Boss
- “Bogie”, which means “enemy”
- Mean
- Dungeon boss
Phrases Opposite to BBEG
- Companion
- Ally
- Kind/nice/etc.
- Teammate
- Good guy/girl
What is the Correct Saying?
- “BBEG” – “big evil bad guy”
Ways People May Incorrectly Say BBEG
Since the abbreviation “BBEG” is used to refer to a villain or bad guy in a video game, or a mean or evil person in real life, using this phrase to refer to someone who is not evil or mean would be incorrect. For example, saying something like, “I love Bill. He’s a BBEG” would be incorrect, as you were just talking about how much you like him, so clearly he is not a mean or evil person. In a video game, it would be incorrect to refer to a teammate or companion as a “BBEG”, since they are on your side and are working with you.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase BBEG
- You are going to come up against the BBEG once you go down to the next level.
- I face so many BBEG in my workplace that those in the video game pale in comparison.
- Creating a comprehensive BBEG for Doom was not easy, we had to look at a variety of different elements.
- In order to beat the BBEG of the game, you will need to do all of the side quests so that you can gather the strongest equipment.
- The active shooter they finally caught was like the BBEG of the city waiting to enact another tragedy.
- I am not some BBEG that haunts your dreams, I am just your workout coach.
- Instead of being the BBEG, why not try to compromise and make friends?