cancelled

What it means

Describes a public figure who's been called out and boycotted after offensive or harmful behavior, often losing support, deals, or followers. Being cancelled means the internet has collectively withdrawn its approval.

Examples

• That influencer got cancelled over old tweets.
• He's basically cancelled after the scandal.
• Cancel culture came for the brand this week.
• You can't just cancel someone over a typo.

Where it comes from

Tied to 'cancel culture,' the practice grew out of Black Twitter in the mid-2010s and exploded around 2018–2020. It traces partly to a joking 'you're cancelled' meme that turned into real public accountability campaigns.

Related slang