Much like the slang term “slay,” “gagged” has been popularized by the LGBT+ community in the past few years and recently became a common slang in the 2020s. Scrolling through internet posts––or rather, the comments section of these posts––users will come across phrases such as “he gagged me fr,” or “ngl I was gagged.” To understand what “gagged” could possibly mean and how to use it correctly, we need to look back at the queer fandoms that catapulted the phrase into everyday lingo.
What does ‘gagged’ mean?
For starters, “gagged” basically means you were stunned into silence. Know Your Meme defines it as being “shocked.” In queer spaces, especially the ballroom club scene, the term usually refers to being stunned by something, like someone’s outfit. However, like much of slang words today, “gagged” has been adopted––some argue “stolen”––from queer Black folks by Gen Alpha and Gen Z. Open any TikTok storytime or viral X thread and you’ll see teens posting how they were “gagged.” And while now it’s often used to mean you are excited or stunned by someone, it’s hard to say whether these netizens know its origins.
Where did ‘gagged’ come from?
Like a lot of wild internet lore, “gagged” seems at least partly to stem from a meme involving rapper and artist Nicki Minaj. Minaj is known to have some of the fiercest fans out there, and one of these fans popularized the phrase “Gag City” ahead of Minaj’s album release in December 2023. “In relation to the album’s upcoming release, Minaj and her fan pages began to use the term ‘next stop: gag city’ to express their excitement,” per Know Your Meme. “Gag City” in relation to Minaj is high praise, implying that the artist is so good, so talented, she is “gagging” her haters and listeners with how amazing her album will be.
Like “slay,” “serve,” and “mother,” “gagged” was originally used to express gay excitement, but on TikTok, it has been watered down to react to (extra)ordinary things or people.
How to use ‘gagged’ correctly
Origin discourse aside, how do these TikTokers use “gagged” these days? In one viral TikTok with almost 10 million views, a user claimed he was “gagged” after artist Joshua Basset canceled his concert mere minutes before he was scheduled to go on.
In another, one TikToker said he was gagged after being told the following relationship advice: “If he couldn’t speak, would his actions make you feel loved?”
Several TikTokers use it in relation to fashion as well, like being gagged by a Coach purse, designer shoes, etc., if they happen to be especially appealing.
The beloved and run-down “slay” may have been replaced by “gagged” for now, but who knows what the next version of it will be in a year? Perhaps it is already being used in niche subcultures as we speak.
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Want more Scrolling in the Deep? Check out our previous explainers:
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