The use of pejorative language can be hurtful and offensive to others.

The word "cracker" as a term for white people is believed to have originated in the South during the 18th century, referring to poor, white farmers or settlers who cracked whips to drive livestock. Over time, it evolved into a pejorative term, often used to denigrate poor white people.

Pejorative prefixes and suffixes attach a negative meaning to a word. An example of a pejorative prefix is dis-: disinformation, disconnect, disloyal, and disagree.

An abelungu is a pejorative term for a group of white people, used as a pejorative term in South Africa.