All entries
Dictionaryinternet slang

What does YOLO mean?

YOLO = You Only Live Once

Short for “you only live once” — the justification for spontaneous or risky choices.

YOLO entered mainstream slang via a Drake song in 2011 and went vertical in 2012. It justifies spontaneous or risky choices on the grounds that life is short.

After being heavily memed, YOLO is now almost always used ironically. Genuine “YOLO” usage is rare; ironic “yolo i guess” usage is everywhere.

All-caps in classic use; lowercase in ironic use.

Examples

How YOLO reads in the wild.

  • “ordered the lobster pasta. yolo”
  • “bought tickets to a sold-out gig at scalper prices. yolo i guess”

Where you’ll see it

InstagramXTikTok

Common questions

What does YOLO mean?

YOLO stands for "You Only Live Once". Short for “you only live once” — the justification for spontaneous or risky choices.

How is YOLO used?

YOLO entered mainstream slang via a Drake song in 2011 and went vertical in 2012. It justifies spontaneous or risky choices on the grounds that life is short. After being heavily memed, YOLO is now almost always used ironically. Genuine “YOLO” usage is rare; ironic “yolo i guess” usage is everywhere. All-caps in classic use; lowercase in ironic use.

Where will I see YOLO?

YOLO is commonly used on Instagram, X, TikTok.

For business owners

Seeing “YOLO” in your DMs? Scroll Ready drafts the reply for you.

Scroll Ready watches your Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Google inbox 24/7. Every comment and DM gets a draft reply in your voice — slang and all. You approve in a tap, from $119/month.