on fleek

On fleek means perfectly done, flawless or exactly right. It was most famously used about eyebrows, but hair, makeup, outfits and even a well-timed comeback can all be on fleek.

What on fleek means

Merriam-Webster defines it as perfectly executed or styled. It’s a compliment about polish: “your brows are on fleek” means they look immaculate. Dictionary.com notes that “fleek” on its own can mean excellent, though almost everyone uses the full phrase.

Examples

• “Eyebrows on fleek, confidence on fleek, bank account not on fleek.”
• “Her winged eyeliner is always on fleek.”
• “That roast was on fleek, honestly.”

Where it came from

Unlike most slang, on fleek has a known birthday. On June 21, 2014, a 16-year-old posting on Vine as Peaches Monroee declared her eyebrows “on fleek.” Most outlets give her name as Kayla Newman; Merriam-Webster’s note calls her Kayla Lewis. “Fleek” had popped up on Urban Dictionary before, but she has said she made the phrase up on the spot.

It spread at internet speed. Ariana Grande posted her own version on Vine, and by that fall brands and celebrities including Kim Kardashian and IHOP were using it. Forever 21 put it on T-shirts. Merriam-Webster later added it with a first known use of 2014, and the American Dialect Society nominated it for its “Most Likely to Succeed” category.

Who got credit

Newman’s story became a well-known example of a young Black creator coining a phrase that companies profited from. In a 2015 interview with The Fader she said she hadn’t received endorsements or payment. In February 2017 she started a GoFundMe with a $100,000 goal, and later that year she launched a hair extension line called On Fleek Extensions.

Is on fleek still used?

If it sounds a little 2014 to you, that’s because 2014 was its moment. People still say it, often with a knowing nod to that era, and it lives on in brow bars and beauty captions.

Related terms

• Snatched: looking amazing.
• Slay: to do something brilliantly.
• Drip: stylish clothes.
• Ate: did it perfectly.

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