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Slang file #011Here to stayFeelings & vibes

What does mood mean?

Say itMOOD/muːd/interjection, noun

A reaction that means "this is very relatable" or "I feel exactly the same way."

Written by the Second Language TeamWritten

In slang, mood means "this is very relatable" or "that’s exactly how I feel." People often post it as a one-word reply under a meme, a GIF, a video, or a friend’s complaint. You can also use it as a noun: "that cat is such a mood."

Say it like the normal word: MOOD, which rhymes with "food." It is very casual, friendly, and often a little ironic, but never rude. Younger people use it most, on social media and in texts with friends. Keep it out of formal writing.

Word stats

How casual
Very informal. It lives in replies, captions, and texts with friends.
OK at work
Fine under a funny meme in the team chat. In an email or a meeting, it will only confuse people.
Grandma-safe
Nothing rude here. Older relatives may just think you are telling them about your feelings.
Cringe risk
Medium. It was hottest around 2018, so "big mood" can sound a little dated to teens, but plain "mood" still sounds normal.
Freshness
Steady. About as many people look it up as last year, so it is not rising and not fading.

Spotted in the wild

Group chat · Friday, 8:15 pm
  1. Jessworked 10 hours, came home, now I’m lying on the kitchen floor
  2. Youmood
  3. Jessthe floor is cold and I respect it

What it means here: You are saying you feel the same way: tired, with zero energy left.

Comments under a video
  1. dailypandasPanda tries to climb a log, gives up, falls asleep halfway 🐼
  2. lin.readsbig mood
  3. marco_92this panda is such a mood. me every monday

What it means here: The commenters see themselves in the panda, who also gave up and took a nap.

Text with Mom
  1. MomWaited 2 hours at the bank today. Then I came home and ate cake for dinner.
  2. Youhonestly big mood
  3. MomWhat mood? Are you sad?? Call me

What it means here: You mean "I relate to that," but your mom only knows the normal meaning of the word.

How to use it

  • Mood. (alone, as a reply)"I could sleep for three days." "Mood."
  • big moodCereal for dinner again? Big mood.
  • something / someone is such a moodThat dog hiding under the blanket is such a mood.
  • a whole moodMy cat ignoring everyone and napping all day? A whole mood.
  • caption + moodMe trying to wake up on Monday: mood

Don’t say it like this

  • Sounds offThat video is mood.

    Say thisThat video is a mood. / That video is such a mood.

    Mood is not an adjective. Inside a sentence it needs "a" or "such a." Alone as a reply, just say "Mood."

  • Sounds offMy boss yelled at everyone today. He’s a mood.

    Say thisMy boss yelled at everyone today. He’s in a mood.

    "In a mood" means grumpy. "A mood" means relatable, so the wrong version says you relate to the yelling.

  • Sounds off"My grandpa is in the hospital." "Mood."

    Say this"My grandpa is in the hospital." "I’m so sorry. Do you want to talk?"

    Mood is playful. After serious news, it sounds like you are not taking your friend seriously.

  • Sounds offHi team, the new deadline is a big mood.

    Say thisHi team, the new deadline will be hard for us to meet.

    In work emails, people may not know the slang, and it can sound like a joke.

mood or not?

Is each of these mood? Pick an answer to find out.

  1. Your friend posts: "opening the fridge five times hoping new food appeared." You reply "mood."

  2. A coworker says, "Don’t ask Dan for anything today, he’s in a mood."

  3. Your friend asks, "What time does the movie start?" You answer, "mood."

  4. Under a photo of a cat asleep in its food bowl, someone comments "big mood."

The mood family

  • sameI feel the same way, or the same thing happened to me.Mood’s older, plainer cousin. It still works everywhere.
  • it meThis is exactly me.The grammar takes a day off so the feeling can shine.
  • vibeThe feeling or atmosphere of a place, person, or thing.Mood says "I feel that." Vibe says "this place feels like that."

Where it came from

  1. Around 2015On Twitter, people start using mood to mean "this is relatable." Dictionary.com says this use is credited to Black Twitter, the large community of Black users on the site [1]. Nobody knows who said it first.
  2. Early 2016Twitter users are already posting "big mood" to mean "relatable" [2].
  3. Late 2017In November, a popular YouTuber tweets "What does big mood mean?" and it gets thousands of likes [2]. In December, "big mood" really takes off on Twitter, and it is still going strong in early 2018 [3].
  4. TodayMood is a normal reply under memes and in group chats, but it is less new than it was in 2018.

Mood, a mood, or in a mood?

The slang grew out of the ordinary word. A mood is how you feel at one moment. The slang points at someone else’s feeling and says "me too." The normal meanings are still very common, and one small word changes everything: in.

SentenceWhat it means
"Mood." (alone, as a reply)Slang: I relate to this.
"That cat is such a mood."Slang: that cat shows a feeling I know well.
"He’s a mood."Slang: he is very relatable.
"He’s in a mood."Standard: he is grumpy or upset.
"I’m in a good mood."Standard: I feel happy right now.
"I’m not in the mood."Standard: I don’t want to do it right now.

So if a friend says your cat is a mood, it is a compliment. If they say your cat is in a mood, maybe pet it later.

Sources

  1. big moodDictionary.com (Slang Dictionary)
  2. Big MoodKnow Your Meme
  3. 'Big Mood' Is the Twitter Slang You Need to Know Right NowThe Daily Dot

More slang to decode

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