Language guide · 30 entries

Dehumanizing label

Reduces a person or group to a criminal, subhuman or contemptible category before the facts are established.

Every entry says why the wording is loaded and what a neutral writer would use instead. An entry marked “depends on context” is highlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

ammosexualammosexualsgun fetishgun fetishistgun fetishistsgun humpers
Sexualized insult for gun owners.
More neutral: gun owner, gun-rights supporter
Used mainly on the left
anchor babiesanchor baby
Slur implying children are conceived as an immigration tactic.
More neutral: U.S.-born child of immigrants
Used mainly on the right
baby killerbaby killers
Accusation of murder as a label.
More neutral: abortion provider, abortion-rights supporter
Used mainly on the right
bootlickerbootlickerscopaganda
Insult that dismisses a position.
More neutral: pro-police coverage, supporter of police
Used mainly on the left
brainwashednpcnpcssheeple
Denies that opponents can think.
More neutral: supporters, people who believe
Used on both sidesDepends on context
climate arsonistclimate arsonistsclimate criminalclimate criminalsecocide
Accusation of crime as a label.
More neutral: name the company and its emissions
Used mainly on the left
communistcommunistsmarxistmarxists
Charged when applied to people who do not describe themselves that way.
More neutral: describe the specific policy, progressive, socialist (if self-described)
Used mainly on the rightDepends on context
cultcult-likecultistscultlike
Pathologizes political loyalty.
More neutral: movement, supporters, followers
Used on both sidesDepends on context
dei hiredei hiresdiversity hire
Attributes an appointment to identity rather than merit without evidence.
More neutral: state the person's qualifications and role
Used mainly on the right
deplorables
Blanket moral judgement of a voting bloc.
More neutral: supporters of, voters who
Used mainly on the left
fascistfascists
A contested label that ends the argument rather than describing conduct.
More neutral: describe the specific policy or statement
Used mainly on the leftDepends on context
freeloadersmoocherstakerswelfare cheatwelfare cheats
Assumes fraud or laziness.
More neutral: benefit recipients
Used mainly on the right
groomergroomers
Implies child sexual abuse without evidence; used as a political label for LGBTQ people and their allies.
More neutral: state the specific allegation and its evidence
Used mainly on the rightDepends on context
gun nutgun nuts
Insult that dismisses a position by pathologizing the people who hold it.
More neutral: gun owner, gun-rights supporter
Used mainly on the left
illegal alienillegal aliens
Appears in some statutes but is widely read as dehumanizing; 'alien' frames people as foreign objects rather than residents.
More neutral: unauthorized immigrant, noncitizen without legal status
Used mainly on the right
illegals
Turns a legal status into a noun for a whole person. Most style guides, including AP, avoid it.
More neutral: people without legal status, unauthorized immigrants
Used mainly on the right
infestationvermin
Dehumanizing metaphor with a documented history in genocidal propaganda.
More neutral: name the group and the specific criticism
Used on both sidesDepends on context
invadersinvasion
In an immigration context, frames migration as a military attack and people as enemies. Flagged when applied to migrants; military invasions are not charged.
More neutral: migrants, increase in border crossings
Used mainly on the rightDepends on context
libtardlibtards
Slur combining a political label with an ableist insult.
More neutral: liberal, Democrat
Used mainly on the right
magatmagats
Slur that likens supporters to maggots.
More neutral: Trump supporters
Used mainly on the left
moonbatmoonbats
Slur.
More neutral: liberal, progressive
Used mainly on the right
nazinazis
Charged when used as a label for present-day opponents. References to the historical party or self-identified neo-Nazi groups are not charged.
More neutral: describe the specific position or act
Used on both sidesDepends on context
race baiterrace baitersrace cardrace hustlerrace hustlersrace-baiting
Attributes cynical motive to discussion of race.
More neutral: civil rights activist, describe the statement
Used mainly on the right
snowflakesnowflakes
Used to dismiss objections as oversensitivity instead of answering them.
More neutral: critic, student, protester
Used mainly on the rightDepends on context
terfterfs
Used as a slur; describe the position instead.
More neutral: gender-critical feminist, describe the position
Used mainly on the leftDepends on context
terrorist sympathizerterrorist sympathizers
Attributes support for violence by association.
More neutral: name the group and what the person said
Used on both sides
thugthugs
Brands a person as inherently criminal before any finding, and has a long history of being applied disproportionately to Black men. Describe the alleged act instead.
More neutral: suspect, attacker, man, person
Used mainly on the right
trump derangement syndrome
Pathologizes disagreement.
More neutral: critics of Trump
Used mainly on the right
uncle tom
Racial slur used against Black conservatives.
More neutral: use the person's name and describe their position
Used mainly on the left
welfare queenwelfare queens
Racialized stereotype about public assistance.
More neutral: benefit recipient
Used mainly on the right