Slang dictionary
basic
摆听bey-sik ]
What does basic mean?
In slang,聽basic聽characterizes someone or something as unoriginal, unexceptional, and mainstream. A basic 驳颈谤濒鈥攐谤 basic bitch as she is often insulted鈥攊s said to like pumpkin spice lattes, UGG boots, and taking lots of selfies, for instance.
Where does basic come from?
According to Green’s Dictionary of Slang, basic emerges as slang for someone or something as being “unexciting, unexceptional, or uneventful” in the 1970s. This is an outgrowth of the negative sense of basic as “plain and simple”
The slang especially stuck to women.聽In their 1984 song “Meeting in the Ladies Room,” the R&B girl group Klymaxx call a woman basic for making moves on another’s boyfriend.
The 2000s saw the rise of the term聽basic bitch, or a woman who is uninteresting and mainstream in her tastes, interests, style, or personality. Comedian Lil Duval had a 2009 video about the basic bitch. The 2011 song “Gucci Gucci” by Kreayshawn features the hook: “And we stunting like /聽Gucci Gucci, Louis Louis, Fendi Fendi, Prada /聽Basic bitches wear that shit so I don’t even bother.”
the best girls are always gonna be the difficult ones, deal with it or get yourself a basic hoe
— 锞掋伄 馃挃 (@Varrxo)
Basic has since become associated with unlikeable, predictable, and ordinary things, especially associated with young white women.
I guess I'm basic for these but oh well馃し馃徎鈥嶁檧锔�
— Laney (@delaney_renae19)
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Examples of basic
Who uses basic?
While basic can describe anyone or anything considered disagreeably mainstream, it especially insults, as noted, young white women. As basic and basic bitch spread in popular culture, some women aren’t oblivious to their supposed聽basic-ness but ironically embrace it. But men, be very careful about calling a woman basic, let alone basic bitch. We don’t recommend it.
i鈥檓 so basic. idc
— | han & cheese | (@rickardhannah)
I had a pumpkin spice latte today, very basic but it was fucking amazing
— Clio (@eevee_fan_clio)
Has anyone seen my Gucci belt? I鈥檓 thinking of being more basic than usual tonight
— 鈥渁llie鈥� (@alleiigh)
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of basic like most terms we define on 亚洲网紅露点, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of basic that will help our users expand their word mastery.