Stan
what it means
From the Eminem song about an obsessive fan whose story ends badly. The word was reclaimed as a self-description, losing most of the original menace.
An extremely devoted fan — or, as a verb, to support someone enthusiastically.
the origin story
From Eminem's 2000 song "Stan", about a fan whose obsession turns fatal.
Merriam-Webster added it in 2019, and by then the verb sense — "I stan" as simple enthusiastic approval — had largely overtaken the noun. The original song's warning is rarely remembered by people using it, which is a fairly complete reversal in twenty-five years.
in the wild
Have you seen her interview?
I stan. Genuinely one of the greats.
The replies are full of stans defending him.
They always are.
how to use it
- Expressing enthusiastic support
- Describing devoted fan communities
- Music and pop culture conversations
- About genuinely obsessive or harmful behaviour, where the original meaning applies
- Professionally
- As a dismissal of all fans of something
related terms
receipts
Community feedback
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