yolo

What it means

A rallying cry used to justify doing something risky, impulsive, or fun because life is short. It's often said half-jokingly right before making a questionable but exciting decision.

Examples

• I booked the skydiving trip, yolo!
• Ordered everything on the menu, yolo.
• Quitting my job to travel, yolo I guess.
• She dyed her hair pink on a whim. Yolo.

Where it comes from

An acronym for 'you only live once,' it blew up after Drake's 2011 song 'The Motto' used it as a hook. It became a defining meme and catchphrase of the early 2010s.

Related slang