I hear the word “simp” on a daily basis, and I can’t help but wonder why this is a general insult towards people who are just trying to be either helpful or respectful.  

According to Dictionary.com, simp is “a slang insult for men who are seen as too attentive and submissive to women, especially out of a failed hope of winning some entitled sexual attention or activity from them.”

“Simp is a very powerful word which can hurt people if used in a negative way towards them,” Powell High School sophomore Steven Stambaugh said. “I don’t call anyone [simp] because I feel like it’s very stupid and pointless. People call me a simp often, if not daily, and most of the time it gets me very aggravated.”

The word ¨simp¨ seems to have originated from the word “simpleton.” The definition of simpleton according to Merriam Webster is a person lacking common sense. The word has been shortened to simp, with an add-on to the original meaning that typically is used to mock men about a person of interest. 

Going along with Stambaugh’s statement, I agree with his feelings about the word simp being pointless and stupid. I feel that the word gets confused with just being respectful or polite towards someone.

“The word ‘simp’ can be fun to use when you’re messing around with your friends,” PHS freshman Clayton Emmett said. “I don’t use the word ‘simp’ too much, but when I do it’s mostly just telling jokes. I get called a simp every now and then but I find it quite funny.” 

There are different scenarios in which the word “simp” is used. It can be used when helping out a girl or a guy and getting called the slang term, or it can be used when you already have your desired person. 

“I never used this specific word when I was young. The word that was always used was calling someone simple which just meant they were an idiot,” science teacher Mrs. Kaitlin Loeffen said. “From what I’ve gathered from my research on the word it is quite demeaning to women. The word seems to be mixed with just being respectful or friendly.” 

In agreement with what Mrs. Loeffen said, I think the word can be disrespectful to women and men. Since the word is typically used as an insult towards men when helping a girl, it gets confused with just being a good person. 

The word simp has been around for a bit now, and it’s used by quite a few people. I don’t get particularly upset when I get called a simp, but there are a lot of instances I’ve seen where a person will become annoyed upon being called one. Whether you find it funny or not, the word is in.