What to say when someone calls you a bitch?

Have you heard people calling you a bitch? Well, sometimes it happens. People view as a “bitch” when we are busy or anxious and trying to get things done quickly or efficiently. Or, we are standing up for ourselves or someone else. But, what are your thoughts when someone calls you a bitch? How do you respond? 

That word can come off as hurtful. First of all, there is no need to “take it as a compliment.” After all, it is not a very pleasant word. Although the word bitch literally means, a”female dog”, but when used as a slang expression, it has an entirely different meaning.  Still, there is no need to go the high road, or the low road, with the person. It isn’something you need to ignore or feel guilty about either.

You can respond to name-calling-bitch in two ways:

  1. React in a funny/snarky tone- you could say “I get bonus points for that, right?” Then go back to what you were talking about and blow it off. Don’t take it personally. Don’t dwell on it. It is just a waste of your energy. 
  2. Be a leader in the situation—  when advocating for yourself or for another, or for a cause that you care about, you could say,  “I am here because I care about xyz, and name-calling doesn’t solve the problem.”

It is all about setting a boundary but maintaining morale. By reacting in a funny tone you are showing the other person that you are not inclined to let their name-calling get you down. By being a leader you are telling them that your actions have a purpose and name-calling is pointless. Both reactions set a boundary with the other person that their words will not go any deeper than that. They aren’t accomplishing anything by saying those words. 

It is unfair that women who stand firm and are strong in their beliefs can come off as “bitchy” when in reality they are just passionate. You should recognize that such name-calling indicates that you are a strong, passionate person, which is something to be proud of. 

11 thoughts on “What to say when someone calls you a bitch?

  1. Thank you very much. My coworker who is my ex. Wanted me to work two extra hours for him. However, he didn’t say thank nor can I work for him. He just expected me to. I told him how I felt about being to open for granted. Then, he called me 5 or 6 bitches. I told him now, I won’t work the extra hours and stop talking to him.

    1. Hi Regina, thanks for sharing. What he did was not acceptable! I am glad you asserted your boundary!

  2. I treat it as a compliment. I usually say something like “well good, because bitches get stuff done” or “a bitch is a female dog, which is adorable. thanks for the compliment hun”

  3. Someone called me a bitch at work, in front of my supervisor and other coworkers. How could I respond in a work setting ? I wanted to smack her face.

    1. I am sorry you have been called a bitch at work. If this is a coworker, one way to respond is to take a deep breath, look at that person straight into their eyes, and ask, “What is your reason behind that inappropriate word?” And you keep quiet and wait for their response. Keep your cool. If they have more inappropriate response, document everything and be ready to report to human resources. You have your supervisor and coworkers as witness. If this is a customer (and customers can say the darnest things), you can ask the supervisor to assist. That’s their job.

  4. My former therapist called me bitchy and continued to berate me! I said nothing because I was taken abackI left and will never go back!

    1. Yikes! I am sorry to hear that! That is not acceptable at all. That therapist should be reported to their board for unprofessionalism. I am so sorry to hear.

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