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The word, however, has since come to be used as an insult, primarily against women but also more generally. In current English usage, "bitch" is most commonly used with its colloquial, insulting meanings, either in the noun form or as the adjective "bitchy" or the verb "to bitch." Its offensiveness and meaning vary highly depending on the form of the word and the context in which it is used.
The offensive use of "bitch" presumably originated as a gender-specific insult, used to call a woman a dog. Used as an insulting noun, bitch most commonly refers to a woman who the term's users believe is excessively touchy, controlling, or aggressive. The Spin Doctors song, "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" ( 1991), uses the word "bitch" in this way:
Used in this way, by a man to describe a woman, the word "bitch" can be perceived as highly offensive and sexist.
"Bitch" is also sometimes used by a man to describe his female sexual partner, whether she is his girlfriend, wife, etc. This usage is common in rap music and hip hop culture. British techno artists The Prodigy titled one of their most famous tracks Smack my bitch up. As the title suggests, the use of "bitch" in this way retains its insulting effect.
Some women, especially in the 1990s, began trying to "reclaim" the word, using it to celebrate the strong qualities traditionally denigrated by the use of the term. A good example of this is the 1998 song "Bitch" by Meredith Brooks, in which Brooks celebrates being a "bitch" as one of many aspects of herself:
In this chorus, Meredith Brooks uses the word Bitch. This is because it is a one syllable word that means "bad person".
Many feminists have pointed out that women are often identified by their relationships with others whereas men are allowed a more independent identity. By beginning the chorus with "I'm a bitch" and ending it with "I do not feel ashamed", Brooks refuses to feel ashamed of her selfishness, vulnerability and independence, insisting that they can and do coexist with more stereotypically feminine qualities.
Bitch can imply that someone is sexually available. In this context, the person using bitch implies their dominance and the other's subservience through the use of the word. In the context of prison sexuality, a bitch is a lower-hierarchy prisoner, typically physically weak or vulnerable, who is dominated by more senior prisoners and forced to adopt a servile role. According to convention, these inmates are used as sexual slaves or traded as personal property. To call a male a "bitch" is usually suggesting that they are sexually active in this manner as a homosexual.
The adjectives "bitchy" and "bitchin'" and the verb "to bitch" evolved from the noun "bitch." All of these derivative forms tend to be less offensive than the noun form, especially where their meaning departs entirely from the insulting meaning of "bitch."
"To bitch" is to complain about something. From this usage, the noun "bitch-fest" evolved: a "bitch-fest" refers to an group of people complaining about something together. Used in its verb form, "to bitch" is significantly less offensive than the noun "bitch." It is not uncommon, for example, for someone to say that they are "bitching" about something, whereas it would be highly uncommon for someone to call themselves a bitch. Also, although in some contexts "to bitch" does maintain some of its feminine specificity, it is relatively normal to say that a man is "bitching" about something.
The adjective "bitchy" has a wider range of meanings, but it also tends to be less strong than the noun "bitch." Someone who is bitchy may be merely temperamental or moody. "Bitchy" is more likely to be applied to women. When used to describe a man, "bitchy" is somewhat feminizing. Alternately, when applied to articles of clothing, it suggests that they are worn to advertise sexual availability.
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