troll

What it means

A person who deliberately posts inflammatory or provocative content online just to upset others and get a reaction. Trolling is done for amusement or disruption rather than genuine debate, and 'troll' also works as a verb.

Examples

• Don't feed the troll, just block him.
• The comment section is full of trolls.
• He's just trolling to get a rise out of you.
• Some troll spammed the live chat with nonsense.

Where it comes from

Internet slang from the late 1980s and 1990s Usenet boards, where 'trolling for newbies' borrowed a fishing metaphor. It later merged with the mythical bridge-troll image to mean a disruptive provocateur.

Related slang