A noob is a beginner: someone who has just started playing a game, learning a program or doing something new and doesn't know much about it yet. People say it about themselves with self-irony (I'm a noob at Excel), and about others mockingly, especially in online games. In a work email, an essay or IELTS Speaking, use beginner or I'm new to…
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a noob at + activity/-ing; such a noob; a total/complete noob; noob question
- Sorry, noob question: how do I save my progress in this game?
- I'm a total noob at cooking, so I'm following the recipe word for word.
- Stop laughing, we were all noobs once, just show her how the controls work.
What changed
First versionI'm so noob at this game, I died in the first five minutes.
RevisionI'm such a noob at this game, I died in the first five minutes.
It's tempting to say so noob, but noob is a noun, and before a noun with a you need such: such a noob. So goes before adjectives: I'm so bad at this game.
Newbie also means a beginner, but it sounds friendlier. You can use it to welcome someone new on a forum: Welcome to the forum, newbie! In games, noob often sounds like a reproach: Stop playing like a noob.
Your turn
It's my first time playing chess online, so go easy on me, I'm a total ___.
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noob — The speaker is playing chess online for the first time and asks others to go easy on them, so they're a beginner: a noob. A nerd, on the other hand, knows a lot about their subject, which doesn't fit with asking people to go easy on you.
Text a friend about a skill you've just started learning. Use noob and mention one specific difficulty.
Started guitar lessons last week and I'm a total noob, my fingers hurt after ten minutes of chords.
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