On this page are some key terms used within the incel community and their definitions, along with an explanation of their significance. It is important to note that just because somebody uses some of these phrases, it does not mean that they are involved with the community. Within the internet, words used within different spaces tend to bleed into the common vocabulary used by anyone who spends time online. Words are listed here because your ability to understand them will help you notice early-on when there is a noteworthy increase in their use.
General Format
Term/Phrase: Definition in clear language
Why this is important/how it is used
Extremism: beliefs that fall onto the farther end of a political or social spectrum, sometimes tied to violence and other acts of aggression
extremism can be political, social, or religious, and is a higher risk when someone spends more time in echo chambers than they do in places where they may be exposed to differing opinions
Geek Masculinity: a type of masculinity commonly applied to men who follow TRP or incel ideologies, where men see themselves as both oppressed due to their "geek" status and superior to women as a result of their status as men
this allows men to fall into the category to preserve a sense of superiority due to their status as men, while still being able to claim victimhood when rejected by women
Hegemonic Masculinity: standards of masculinity that center around tradition and the preservation of men's superiority
someone who is "traditionally masculine" would fall under this definition as well
the emphasis of hegemonic masculinity is on tradition and power (think of a nuclear family with the father as head of the household, and who has the final say on all matters)
Masculinity: characteristics or behaviors that one would associate with men or boys
the criteria for masculinity shift and evolve depending on the social, cultural, or historical context, which means that something that is considered masculine in the U.S. may not be viewed the same abroad or that something considered masculine in the current day may not fall into the same category in the past
the fluidity of this definition is what makes it impossible to ever fully fit into a category of masculinity, and is why so many men and boys may feel as if they have failed, even if they spend all their time trying to measure up
Misogyny: prejudice directed toward women
this can happen anywhere and has been normalized to an extent in online spaces
misogyny can be direct or indirect (ex. degrading women in public vs. finding reasons to not hire them), can be physically acted out (ex. physical violence), and can be directed broadly or interpersonally (ex. government legislation that only impacts women negatively vs. familial expectations of daughters within the home)
Patriarchy: a power structure with the majority or all of the power being given to men rather than women
this can be applied to any social dynamic such as within a family, workplace, or government
Radicalization: the process of altering one's beliefs or behaviors to align with a group or ideology, typically a group or ideology that could be classified as extremist
in the past, this has been tied more to terrorist groups who act out physically, but there is an increasing understanding that radicalization can happen in the absence of physical violence
Alpha fux/Beta bux (AFBB): refers to the idea that the "ideal" man can sleep with whoever he wants and that "lesser" men need to impress women with money in order to sleep with them
used mainly by incels when lamenting their lack of relationship/sexual success, or when they believe they have proved this true (ex. by paying a sex worker for their services)
AWALT(All Women Are Like That): refers to the idea that all women more or less fit into a single archetype of behavior, particularly regarding behavior around men
often used in response to a rant or story from another incel about an interaction with a woman, usually one involving embarrassment or perceived failure
Black Pill: the most extreme end of the red pill spectrum, men who subscribe to this part of TRP believe that they will never achieve the masculine ideal desired and have given up on trying, instead they fall wholly into hate for women and self-loathing
used almost entirely by incels alone, used as a self-descriptor, and can be a warning sign for an exacerbation of poor mental health
E.R.: refers to Elliot Rodgers, who carried out a mass shooting in Isla Vista in 2016, after the attacks and his subsequent death the incel community has deified Rodgers and his name or initials have been used by others who carried out their own acts of violence in the name of seeking vengeance for incels
used both by those who seriously plan to act out violently and by those who are simply joking or expressing frustration at their circumstances, which makes it difficult to make any proactive effort to prevent further violence
Hypergamy: the idea that women are biologically predisposed to seek out the most valuable men according to the standards of TRP, and therefore will not choose to be with men who are not as desirable
used to characterize women as animalistic and reliant on instinct to choose who they want to be with, also allows incels to place the blame for their lack of success on women rather than assess their own behaviors
Looksmaxxing: working to improve one's appearance in the hopes/belief that it will lead to more success in relationships
used mainly by incels, though it may seem like a positive practice to improve physical health, goals are achieved through unhealthy dietary practices and based in mentalities that mirror body dysmorphia and the mentalities associated with the development of eating disorders
Misandry: the polar opposite of misogyny, discrimination against men on the basis of gender
though this term has real-world applications, it is often used in incel and manosphere circles to argue against any support for women or feminism
Ragefuel: used to refer to something that angers someone, primarily within the context of incel worldviews
used mainly within incel groups, often on more text-based sites with a focus on longer rants such as 4Chan
Ropefuel: used to refer to something that triggers feelings of suicidality, primarily used on incel messageboards
used both unironically and ironically by incels, making it difficult to gauge the seriousness of the statements made by users
TRP(The Red Pill): central ideology of the manosphere, particularly for incels, based on the idea that there is a hidden hierarchy and order to the world where everyone is ranked based on their success in relationships and desirability, where women hold the deciding power for sex and romance but are also the naturally inferior gender
used across the manosphere, but constantly by incels, the name comes from a scene in the movie The Matrix where the main character is offered the choice of taking a red pill (to see the world as it truly is) or a blue pill (to remain ignorant)
The Game: central pillar of Pickup Artist(PUA) practices, collection of tactics and mentalities surrounding the attraction of women, involves techniques such as "negging" which involves insulting women in order to make them feel unwanted and thus more prone to settling
more commonly used within PUA circles, but also mentioned by incels
The Wall: imaginary point at which women are no longer desirable, usually refers to a specific age
used frequently in PUA and incel circles to define the ideal age range of women for partnership and physical desirability
Femcel: a female incel, not believed to be a "true incel" by the majority of the incel community
used mainly within the incel community, often not someone that is believed to be an incel because one core belief of incels is that women can have sex or a relationship whenever and with whoever they want
Foid/Femoid: a dehumanizing term used to refer to women either individually or as a whole, a combination between "female" and "android"
used in a derogatory manner, separates women's gender from their personhood, and reduces them solely to objects of men's desire
Incel: stands for "involuntary celibate" and refers to men who are unable to achieve romantic or sexual relationships with women, despite both desiring and feeling entitled to them
used as a self-descriptor by incels, but also increasingly used as an insult by the larger online community
Neet: refers to individuals who are neither employed nor actively seeking education
used as a self-descriptor, often alongside expressions of frustration or disappointment in one's current life circumstances, not a positive trait within incel circles
Normie: someone who is not involved with the manosphere or incels in any capacity, not a supporter of TRP, sometimes also referred to as "blue-pilled"
used unironically by incels as a term of derision, and ironically by the general population of the internet
SJW(Social Justice Warrior): applied to anyone (mainly women) who are more politically progressive, most commonly has a negative connotation and is used to mock those who criticize TRP or manosphere groups
used all over the internet, most commonly used to mock someone who is believed by a speaker/poster to hold opinions that are ridiculous
definition and application fluctuate depending on the context in which it is used, and who is using it, but it is almost never used to portray someone in a positive light and often accompanies a caricature of the "blue-haired angry feminist"
Soyboy: refers to a weak-willed or physically weak man, based on the belief that excess soy estrogen(isoflavones) concentrations due to the consumption of soy products lead to the feminization of men
used all over the manosphere as an insult, commonly directed at men who defend women or support feminism
Truecel: a "true incel", an incel who fits the real definition of the term
used when arguing whether an individual is truly a member of the community and fits the standard definition or not
Volcel: an individual who voluntarily refrains from romantic or sexual relationships with women
not as common for incels, more likely to be used by MGTOW members or to help identify incel group members who have chosen their current life circumstances
White Knight: a man who stands up for women, particularly against misogyny
used as an insult by incels and directed toward men who oppose their beliefs about women
GamerGate: a mass harassment campaign against women in online circles, particularly gaming and journalism, in response to content posted that called out sexism in the gaming industry
led to the cyber-stalking, online harassment, and threatening of women all over the internet
Manosphere: an online network of different communities and subcultures dedicated to promoting pro-patriarchal views, each with a different focus, but all supporting the devaluation or subjugation of women
often used as an overarching term to refer to the entirety of online misogynist groups, especially when discussing the harm they cause
MGTOW(Men Going Their Own Way): manosphere group dedicated to the idea of separatism, where men will be more successful and happy if they completely remove women from their lives
though it appears to be less harmful than other manosphere groups, the harmful ideas connected to TRP are still applied here, and there is also a significant prevalence of violent misogyny in this group because they operate on the assumption that women are inferior or poison to men
MRA(Men's Rights Activist): section of the manosphere who apply TRP thinking to tackle problems faced by men in society, with the central blame for structural issues faced by men placed on women or feminism
it is important to note that MRA groups often identify very real problems/struggles faced by men that are worth recognition, the problem is how they approach solutions with the mentality that men's wellbeing requires the subjugation of women and vice versa
PUA(Pick Up Artist): section of the manosphere whose members subscribe to TRP, but whose focus is on attracting or "picking up" women based on a central strategy known as The Game
rooted in ideas of gender essentialism, the goal is to acquire women with no regard or focus on what happens after the initial "score"
Alpha: the top of the hierarchy presented by TRP, the example that all other men should be attempting to live up to
used both unironically by incels and ironically by the general population of the internet, a perfect example of how the meme culture of the internet can aid in the spread of ideology
Beta: the bottom half of the hierarchy presented by TRP, all men who have not made it to the level of success that would categorize them as an Alpha, includes incels and many (but not all) members of the manosphere
another term used unironically by incels and ironically by the general population of the internet
Chad: men who fit into the category of alpha, but with a particular emphasis on their physical appearance for their success with women
used unironically by incels and ironically by the general population of the internet
Stacy: the "ideal" woman in the eyes of incels, usually thin and attractive according to Western eurocentric beauty standards
used primarily within incel circles, often these women are the most desired by incels, but also the most resented due to incels' inability to engage in relationships with them