Acts as an adjective and a descriptive affirmation/response meaning “what you’re saying is valid” or “I agree with you”
My phrase is, in specific, “real” or “so real”. This is not necessarily a description of reality but more a one-word response or insert meaning “what you’re saying/experiencing/feeling/this event/etc. is real to me and is valid”.
As is important to note with this (and with all phrases that are widely used on the internet): this phrase is not always used the way it’s intended to be and is, like all things on the internet, heavily steeped in irony. Much like how people will ironically say “you’re so right” to someone who they patently disagree with, someone on the internet might say “so real” to something that they do not agree with or find funny.
This is a phrase widely used in the queer community but taken (like many phrases in the queer community such as "yaass" "slay" or "periodt") from the black American language community.
Examples found on Twitter and TikTok:
Oxford Languages and Google. Oxford Languages.
https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/
teenagers bro. “...essentially you say this when you relate to/agree with someone or
something. its similar to…” Urban Dictionary, 25 May 2022.
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=real
ThiccMalone. “real” my mother died and idk what to do.”’ Urban Dicitonary, 21 May 2022.
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=real
Geffner, Harley. “Polo G’s Master Plan.” Complex, 09 June 2021.
https://www.complex.com/music/polo-g-hall-of-fame-interview
@JohnnySpittin. Twitter. 15 Nov. 2022, 9:00 AM PST.
https://twitter.com/JohnnySpittin/with_replies
@i2burger. Twitter. 28 Oct. 2022. https://twitter.com/i2burger/with_replies
@cringefailer. Twitter. 12 Nov. 2022. https://twitter.com/cringefailer
@VersaceVenus. Twitter. 15 Nov. 2022, 6:00 AM PST.
https://twitter.com/VersaceVenus_/with_replies
@josie_promo. Twitter. 15 Nov. 2022, 12:30 PM PST.
https://twitter.com/josie_promo/with_replies
@loveangelb4by, @wotfisjovana. Twitter. 14 Nov. 2022.
https://twitter.com/whotfisjovana/with_replies
Lou (Lucena) Stein is a graphic design major at Sacramento City College. They are a biology enthusiast, interested in conservational biology and climate change activism, and an artist (see the attached Instagram to view more of their art). They are interested in graduating in two years through the TAG program to attend UC Davis’s famous Design program. In their free time, they enjoy good food, indie movies, and hanging out with their cats Percy, Crookshanks, and Smalls (Smalls is actually a dog but is a cat in terms of temperament).