girlboss

A girlboss is an ambitious, successful woman, especially one who runs her own business. That’s the sincere meaning. These days the word is used sarcastically at least as often, for a woman who dresses up ruthless or ordinary behavior as empowerment.

What it means now

In the mid-2010s, “girlboss” was a badge of honor in startup and Instagram culture. Then the mood turned. Now people use it in three ways:

• Sincerely: praise for a woman building something of her own.
• Sarcastically: mocking a woman who uses harsh tactics while claiming feminism, or who treats tiny things as major achievements.
• As a verb: “girlbossing” means confidently going for it, sometimes too confidently.

Examples

• “She started a bakery from her apartment and now has three locations. Total girlboss.”
• “Underpaying your assistant isn’t feminism. That’s just girlbossing.”
• “I answered one email before noon. I’m girlbossing today.”

Where it came from

The word existed before it was famous; Merriam-Webster’s first known use is 1994. It was popularized by Sophia Amoruso, founder of the fashion retailer Nasty Gal, whose book #GIRLBOSS came out in May 2014 and became a bestseller. Netflix turned her story into a series, Girlboss, in 2017. It was canceled after one season.

Nasty Gal filed for bankruptcy in late 2016, and in 2020 several founders associated with girlboss branding faced criticism over workplace culture. The sincere use faded, and the ironic one took over.

“Gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss”

In January 2021, a Tumblr post turned the word into a three-part joke motto: gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss. It was quickly called “the new live laugh love,” and it has kept the word in circulation ever since.

Related terms

• gaslight: making someone doubt their own memory
• gatekeep: keeping a good thing to yourself
• pick-me: someone desperate for approval
• grindset: a mindset that glorifies nonstop work
• side hustle: extra income on the side

See more terms like this in our Gen Z slang dictionary.