Scroll through social media long enough and you’re sure to come across a post or a comment from someone using the term “gyatt”: “We have gyatt to stay focused;” “there’s gyatt to be a better way;” or “you’ve gyatt to be serious.”
But what is the meaning of “gyatt?” And why is it suddenly everywhere on the internet? And especially TikTok.
In most cases, they’re usually referring to a plump posterior or, put plainly, a nice bottom. But plenty are using it wrong. If you’re still unsure of what it actually means, don’t worry, we’ve “gyatt” you covered.
(Apologies, that usage is wrong.)
Gyatt meaning: What is the definition?
The term “gyatt,” or “gyat,” has taken over the internet, namely TikTok, Twitter, and streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube. According to Google Trends, searches for “gyatt” have been on the rise since the start of this year.
In a video, @SlangmanPublishing on TikTok said it’s the number one slang used by teens today.
@slangmandavidburke Learn American Slang! – GYATT #englishclass #learnenglish #spokenenglish #english ♬ original sound – Slangman David Burke – SLANGMAN
One user commented under the video, “I thought it meant get your act together.” Another suggested “girl you ate that.”
While both are creative and rather PG-13 interpretations, “gyatt” is not an acronym nor a noun. It comes from the phonetic expression of “goddamn,” exaggeratedly pronounced “gyat-damn,” then shortened,originating predominantly in the Black community.
“Gyatt” is most commonly used on social media in reference to, but not referring directly to, butts. Its usage spans social media apps, generations, and even racial demographic lines.
But it’s not always used correctly.
“Me happy af bc my mom blessed me with a gyatt” (wrong).
“Making my girls gyat 🍑 smaller to see her reaction” (wrong).
“I gotta go to work for the rest of my life!? GYAT DAYUM” (correct).
Urban Dictionary defines “gyatt” as a “short term for goddamn usually used by YourRage and his chat, usually when either a curvy woman (or man) pops up during the stream.”
While streamer YourRage wasn’t the first person to ever say it, many attribute the term to the popular streamer.
Black streamer Dosllee, another popular trendsetter of the term, even became a victim of the word. On one of his streams, his chat clipped a portion of the video where his own rear end popped into the frame for a second, with viewers commenting on how he “purposely made it jiggle.”
The video was dubbed “Gyat of Hell.”
Recently, commenter DreSaidSoo added context to the definition on Urban Dictionary to call out the incorrect other usages of the expletive: “No, it doesn’t mean ‘girl u ate that,’ god i hate tiktok sometimes. The real definition is a funny way to say goddamn when u see a fat ass or titties, popularized by one of the best twitch streamer’s yourrage. But kids today think kai cenat made it (no disrespect to one of the goats of twitch btw). *sees a thicc bih walk past* “GYAT‼️”
But take a look away from the Black media sphere and you’ll find examples of people using “gyatt” in different contexts.
While a seemingly harmless trend at first, people are now aware of the larger conversation about slang terms taken from African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and being used out of context.
Along with other phrases like “rizz,” “jit,” and “blud,” “gyatt” is another popular term taken over by non-Black people. Now, it’s used for nearly everything on social media. And as such, some are getting tired of the phrase.
On TikTok, one user posted a video of a woman dancing with her father, who she determined apparently had a “gyatt”-worthy behind. The responses in the comment section were a myriad of “gyatt.”
“I’ve gyatt to meet your dad,” “this is so gyat damn cute,” “in gyat we trust,” “you gyat the moves.”
Another user, @fixmeanduseme, cropped that video with text across the screen that said “I can’t fucking take it anymore, stop saying “gyat” especially if you don’t even know how to use it,” and captioned it “I’m white tired of people misusing AAVE #stop #gyat #rizz #aave #white.”
@fixmeanduseme Even though im white tired of people misusing AAVE #stop #gyat #rizz #aave #white ♬ Once – Pearl Jam
One user, @oxfordcomma.enthusiast, commented, “It’s just another instance of suburban white boys misusing aave to objectify women.”
Another commented “the word in itself is annoying and overused asf.”
It appears it is “gyatt”-ing on people’s nerves. But gyatt even made it into the New York Times recent list of Gen Alpha slang, which means gyatt is here to stay.
