Meaning
A dismissive retort, used mainly by younger speakers, to shut down a remark seen as out of touch, preachy, or characteristic of the Baby Boomer generation. It is a brush-off rather than a counter-argument, and it can come across as ageist or disrespectful, so it is risky in workplace or formal settings even when aimed at attitudes rather than ages. Informal internet slang; conveys generational contempt and can offend well beyond its target. Regional use: General English, rooted in US online culture; now international.
Origin
The earliest known use is a Reddit comment of 29 September 2009, though Wikipedia flags that citation as needing better sourcing, and the phrase also appeared on 4chan from 2015 aimed at people considered behind the times. It went mass-market in late 2019 on TikTok, where thousands of users replied to an older man's video criticising younger generations; a song titled OK boomer released in July 2019 served as an anthem for the response. Taylor Lorenz's New York Times piece of 29 October 2019 argued that the phrase marked the end of friendly generational relations. On 5 November 2019 New Zealand MP Chloe Swarbrick answered a heckling colleague in Parliament with it, drawing global coverage, and on 23 November climate protesters chanted it while interrupting the Harvard-Yale football game. It appeared as a Jeopardy! clue on 9 January 2020 and in a US Supreme Court argument that same month.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- Okay boomer
Usage Examples
- When he started lecturing us about phones, she just said OK boomer and walked off.
- The clip of the OK boomer moment from Parliament circulated for days afterwards.
- Replying OK boomer to a genuine question is rude, whatever the generation gap.