no cap
No cap means “no lie” or “for real.” People add it to show they are being completely honest, or just to put emphasis on what they are saying. The opposite, “cap,” means a lie.
What does no cap mean?
In slang, “cap” means a lie or exaggeration, so “no cap” means there is no lie in what you just said. Often it is less about honesty and more about emphasis, the way people use “literally” or “seriously.”
Online, you will often see it written with emojis: 🚫🧢 or 🙅🧢.
How to use it
- “That was the best burger I’ve ever had, no cap.”
- “No cap, I studied for six hours straight.”
- “She’s the funniest person I know, no cap.”
- “I’m not even joking, no cap, the dog opened the fridge.”
Where it comes from
According to Dictionary.com, “cap” has meant to brag, exaggerate or lie in Black vernacular English since the early 1900s. “No cap” is closely associated with Atlanta-area hip-hop, appeared on Twitter by 2012, and spread widely after a 2017 song by Young Thug and Future. From rap and Black Twitter it moved into general Gen Z slang.
Related terms
See more terms like this in our Gen Z slang dictionary.
Example sentence
That was the best burger I’ve ever had, no cap.
Similar words
for real, no lie, deadass
Notes
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