Slang dictionary
babygirl
[bey-bee-gurl]
What does babygirl mean?
Babygirl is a slang phrase that refers to an attractive man. It is used to refer to both fictional characters and male celebrities.
Any attractive man can be called a babygirl, but it is more likely to be used if the man is considered cute, sensitive, or vulnerable. Alternatively, the term babygirl may be intentionally used for humor if a man is none of these things.
Babygirl may also be used as an adjective to describe a man as being desirable because he is sensitive, cute, or emotional, as in Angelo is such a broody loner and I love him for it. He is so babygirl.
Although it originated earlier, babygirl became particularly popular on TikTok in 2023. In response, media outlets wrote articles about the term and further spread awareness of it.
Example: Everyone’s favorite babygirl Pedro Pascal just got cast in another movie.
Where does babygirl come from?
The term babygirl has traditionally been a pet name or term of endearment used to refer to women. Its more recent application to attractive men most likely resulted from people finding the reversal of roles to be humorous.
Exactly when babygirl first began to be used to refer to men is unclear. It may have been popularized by an edit of the comic Mob Psycho 100 that went viral in 2021. In the edit, a male character asks another man why someone calls him babygirl and is told to stop talking in response. This edited comic became a popular meme among anime and manga fans on Twitter and Tumblr in 2021.
someone should draw this meme but with rose wilson and dick grayson
rose: "why does my brother call you babygirl"
dick: "how about we stop talking for a little while" pic.twitter.com/EN3rFyc8zh— fritula | inactive (@fritula) September 25, 2021
In 2022, the term babygirl began to be used more generally to refer to attractive men largely because users found it funny. By 2023, TikTok users also commonly used babygirl to refer to attractive men.
@pascalscinema im cryifdnf 😭😭 hes so babygirl #pedropascal #pedritopascal #sundancefilmfestival #freakytales #sundancefilmfestival2024 #pedropascaltiktok #fyp
Examples of babygirl
Who uses babygirl?
On social media, the term babygirl is often used to refer to attractive men.
calling grown men babygirl feels right
— despi ⟡ (@phos3xual) December 16, 2023
bruno mars in tokyo see thats a babygirl right there
— mila (@kiffysoftpaws) January 26, 2024
sometimes a babygirl is the 37 year old front man of a metal band who throws up peace signs
— EGGY ☆ (@eggyisonline) January 23, 2024
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of babygirl like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of babygirl that will help our users expand their word mastery.