it’s giving

“It’s giving” means something has a certain vibe or resembles something. You say “it’s giving” followed by the vibe: “it’s giving main character,” “it’s giving 2010.” Said on its own, “it’s giving” is a compliment meaning it looks great.

What does it’s giving mean?

The phrase is short for “it’s giving off the energy of.” It lets you sum up an outfit, a room, a situation or a person’s attitude in one quick comparison. It can be praise (“it’s giving elegance”), teasing (“it’s giving middle school dance”) or a full verdict with nothing after it (“okay, it’s giving!”).

How to use it

• “That apartment with the plants and the vinyl? It’s giving cozy.”
• “Your outfit is giving rock star.”
• “Him explaining crypto at dinner was giving ‘my uncle at Thanksgiving.’”
• “The lighting, the music, the food. It’s giving!”

Where it comes from

“Giving” in this sense comes from Black and LGBTQ+ ballroom and drag culture, where performers are judged on the look or category they are “giving.” Shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race and creators on TikTok carried it into mainstream slang in the late 2010s and early 2020s.

Related terms

• ate: did something extremely well
• slay: to do something brilliantly
• main character: acting like the star of the story
• vibe check: checking the mood or someone’s energy
• periodt: end of discussion

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