brick

In New York slang, “brick” means freezing cold: “It’s brick outside.” In basketball a brick is a badly missed shot, and in tech it’s a device that won’t turn on.

“It’s brick outside”

Merriam-Webster’s slang entry defines brick as extremely cold weather and says this use started in African American English in and around New York City. It’s still mostly a New York word, but it’s spreading. On her talk show in January 2024, Tamron Hall summed it up: “It is brick. It is so cold.”

Why brick? Merriam-Webster points out that people have long noticed how cold bricks get in winter, and “cold as a brick” was already an expression.

Other meanings of brick

• Basketball: a shot that misses badly, often clanking off the rim as if the ball weighed a ton. “He bricked both free throws.”
• Tech: a phone, console or laptop that’s completely dead is “bricked,” about as useful as a brick.
• Old slang: calling someone “a brick” once meant they were dependable and kind.

Examples

• “Wear a real coat, it’s brick out there.”
• “0 for 6 tonight. Nothing but bricks.”
• “The update failed and now my phone’s a brick.”

Related terms

• Deadass: seriously, another New York favorite.
• Mid: average, disappointing.
• Bet: okay, deal.
• Shook: shaken up.

More everyday slang is in our Gen Z slang guide.