Hot Girl Summer
what it means
Not about appearance. As its originator described it, it's about being yourself, having fun and not caring what anyone thinks — for any gender.
A season spent being confident, unbothered and out enjoying yourself.
the origin story
Coined by rapper Megan Thee Stallion in 2019, who described it as being unapologetically yourself and having a good time.
It became one of the defining phrases of summer 2019 and was used in brand marketing so widely that Megan Thee Stallion filed a trademark application over it. The construction proved endlessly productive — "feral girl summer", "tomato girl summer" and many others followed the template.
in the wild
What are you doing this summer?
Hot girl summer. Saying yes to everything.
Every summer has a name now.
That's the legacy of one song.
how to use it
- Describing a confident, sociable season
- Referencing 2019 pop culture
- Casual conversation
- As a comment about appearance
- Professionally
- As current slang — it now reads as 2019
related terms
receipts
Community feedback
keep scrolling
Glow-Down
The opposite of a glow-up — appearing to have declined rather than improved.
Slept On
Underrated — overlooked despite being genuinely good.
Cheat Code
A trick or advantage that makes something much easier than it should be.
Gassing Up
Hyping someone up with enthusiastic praise to boost their confidence.