mother

What it means

An honorific for a woman (often a celebrity or icon) who is dominating, flawless, or hugely influential at what she does. Calling someone 'mother' or saying 'mother is mothering' is high praise for being iconic and in command.

Examples

• She walked out in that gown and mother was mothering.
• Beyoncé dropped the album, mother has done it again.
• The way she runs that company, she's literally mother.
• Mother is serving and we are simply her children.

Where it comes from

Rooted in drag and ballroom culture, where 'mother' leads a house, the term spread into stan culture and TikTok in the early 2020s as ultimate praise.

Related slang