xtra

As noted, xtra is often used simply as an abbreviation for extra in its more traditional meaning, and extra can be used as slang in the same way as xtra. Neither spelling is unique to the slang meaning of the word. In spoken and social-media slang contexts, xtra most often appears in the phrase “being/is xtra” or “being/is so xtra.” Xtra often carries with it a negative connotation. Someone being xtra is not just being excessive or dramatic—but unnecessarily so. This use is common among young females online and in speech.

In LGBTQ spaces, however, xtra carries a slightly different connotation. Though it still means “dramatic” or “over the top,” many members of the gay community view the ability to be over the top with their sexuality as liberating. Drag queens are sometimes referred to as extra or xtra in this vein.

Since xtra is a stylized abbreviation of extra, many publications and brands use it in their name. This use is generally not associated with the slang meaning of xtra. For instance, media analytics company Xtra Insights uses xtra as a catchier form of extra.

Some publications that use the term are, however, deliberately nodding to its association with the gay community. These publications include Xtra, an online Canadian magazine sharing news and opinions from the LGBTQ community, and cityXtra, a Florida-based online gay news and opinion publication.