Zesty (Slang)

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Part of a series on Internet Slang. [View Related Entries]

About

Zesty is an internet slang term most often used to call someone flamboyantly gay in a derogatory manner. It is also used to call someone or something lively and energetic. The term became popularized on TikTok in 2022 as a way of jokingly calling someone out for doing something that can be perceived as stereotypically gay or effeminate.

Origin

Merriam-Webster^[1] dictionary defines the adjective "zesty" as, "having or characterized by zest, appealingly piquant or lively." The term has been defined on Urban Dictionary^[2] in several ways, with the two most popular definitions defining zesty as "gay." For example, on May 11th, 2009, a user defined zesty as, "The way my advisor describes someone who looks and dresses like they could be gay or homosexual." In March 2022, a user defined "zesty" as, "meaning you look snazzy and gay," becoming the most popular definition with over 400 thumbs-ups.

Spread

The term "zesty" was popularized on TikTok throughout 2022, with videos under the hashtag "#zesty" boasting over 70 million total views. Some of the most popular videos to use the hashtag show people acting effeminately. One of the most popular uploads under the hashtag, posted by TikToker^[3] @david_is_lamee on January 29th, 2022, shows several young Black men posing effeminately around the house and gained over 1.9 million views in seven months (shown below).

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7058813962304884015

On May 4th, and May 15th, TikTokers^[4]^[5] @allanbarth and @iiamkylenn posted videos captioned, "was finna get zesty but my dad walked in" where they dance in a specific way then scramble to grab the camera as a door behind them opens, gaining over 3.1 million and 1.7 million views respectively in three months (shown below, left and right).

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7094025119135468846

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7097384885987626286

On July 27th, Distractify^[6] published an article looking to define "zesty," claiming it "refers to a trend or video that is fun and exciting." HITC^[7] similarly defined it on August 2nd. The definitions do not mention how it is used to refer to people as gay.