git gud

“Git gud” is a deliberately misspelled “get good.” Gamers say it to someone who is complaining, usually meaning “stop whining and improve.” It can be teasing between friends or flatly dismissive from a stranger.

What does git gud mean?

The message is simple: the problem isn’t the game, it’s you. If someone says a boss is unfair, a level is broken or an opponent is cheap, “git gud” is the reply that refuses to take the complaint seriously. The misspelling makes it sound mocking on purpose.

How to use it

• “Complaining that the boss is unfair? Git gud.”
• “Lost five ranked games in a row and my friend just texted ‘git gud.’”
• “Forty attempts later, I finally beat it. I got gud.”
• “My driving instructor would never say it, but his face definitely said git gud.”

People also use it outside gaming as a joke about any skill, from cooking to parallel parking. “Got gud” is the playful past tense.

Where it comes from

The phrase grew out of online gaming communities. Know Your Meme traces it to the Metal Gear Online community, and a definition appeared on Urban Dictionary in July 2008. It really took off around 2012 on gaming boards, especially among Dark Souls players, where it became the standard answer to anyone complaining about the series’ famous difficulty.

Is git gud rude?

It depends on who says it and when. Between friends after a loss, it’s banter. Said to a stranger who is genuinely asking for help, it reads as gatekeeping. If you want to tease without being a jerk, pair it with an actual tip.

Related terms

• noob: a beginner, or someone playing badly
• try-hard: someone putting in way too much effort
• sweaty: playing intensely, even in casual matches
• malding: getting visibly angry over a game
• GG: “good game,” said at the end of a match

See more terms like this in our gaming slang dictionary.