clap means To beat someone decisively โ usually in a video game, but extended to any lopsided loss. It's mostly used in gaming and streaming culture. It's casual and generally safe with friends and online. It's standard online vocabulary; nothing inherently concerning about hearing it.
clap
To beat someone decisively โ usually in a video game, but extended to any lopsided loss.
klรฆpDocumented since 1990s1990sMillennialhistorical649 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026๏ผ Add a definition
Etymology timeline
Born ~1990 ยท no dated citations yetMillennial / early-internet eraSee decade cohort โ
Seen in the wild
Firecrawl: Clapping - Wikipedia
A type of synthesized clap is popular in many rap and [hip-hop](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip-hop "Hip-hop") songs as well.
View source
Firecrawl: Clap - Wikipedia
If an [internal link](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:WhatLinksHere/Clap&namespace=0) led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
View source
Firecrawl: Why do we clap? - BBC
"I could do this forever!" Soon though, I started to question things โ my choices in life, how I got here โ but mostly: _why do we clap at all?_ Why did people first start bashing their palms together to show appreciaโฆ
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Definitions
INTERNET
+412100%
#1ยทApr 24, 2026INTERNETCasual
To beat someone decisively โ usually in a video game, but extended to any lopsided loss. "Got clapped" = got destroyed. Can also reference the physical sound (๐) or an applause-style taunt typed after a win.
Origin: AAVE; earliest "clap back" usage appears in 1990s hip-hop. Meaning broadened in gaming contexts during the 2010s.
For parents
clap means To beat someone decisively โ usually in a video game, but extended to any lopsided loss. It's mostly used in gaming and streaming culture. It's casual and generally safe with friends and online. It's standard online vocabulary; nothing inherently concerning about hearing it.
For ESL learners
"clap" is slang. It means: To beat someone decisively โ usually in a video game, but extended to any lopsided loss. Register: casual. Use it in: casual conversation and online posts. Avoid in: formal writing and professional emails.
Cluster: gaming
Heard in the wild
โA type of synthesized clap is popular in many rap and [hip-hop](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip-hop "Hip-hop") songs as well.โ
โIf an [internal link](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:WhatLinksHere/Clap&namespace=0) led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.โ
โ"I could do this forever!" Soon though, I started to question things โ my choices in life, how I got here โ but mostly: _why do we clap at all?_ Why did people first start bashing their palms together to show appreciation?โ
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes โ what a textbook won't teach you.
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๐ฎAbout Gaming slang
Gaming slang across genres โ from OP, nerf, and buff to carry, clutch, jungle, and wombo combo. The lingo of esports, streamers, and ranked lobbies everywhere.
See all Gaming slang on Slangora.
Tags
Other words near "clap" (C)
clanker kingclanker maxxingclanker modeclanker pilledclanker queenclanker sznclap backclapbackClap-Boardclap cheeksclap energyclap in
Browse all slang words starting with C.
Related terms
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Semantically related
- clap mode78%
Clap mode is the state a gamer or competitor enters when they've switched from playing strategically to simply running through opponents with overwhelming force โ no longer thinking, just eliminating. In gaming slang, 'clap' means to definitively beat or eliminate someone, and clap mode describes that focused, almost mechanical state where the kills come effortlessly and the opposition doesn't stand a chance. It's the competitive equivalent of going autopilot at max efficiency, where muscle memory takes over and every encounter ends the same way: with the other person getting sent back to the lobby.
- clapped75%
(slang, MLE) Extremely ugly; physically unattractive.
- clap energy71%
Clap energy is the aggressive, dominant vibe someone projects when they walk into a competitive situation radiating pure confidence that they're about to absolutely demolish the opposition. It's the attitude of someone who has already decided they've won before the first move โ a kind of calm, almost contemptuous certainty rooted in knowing they're the most skilled person in the lobby. Drawing from gaming slang where 'clap' means to decisively beat an opponent, clap energy is less about the act and more about the aura: that pre-elimination swagger that makes enemies nervous before the match even begins.
- clap on71%
(UK, colloquial) To talk at tedious length; to whinge.
- clap out71%
(transitive) To clap to the rhythm of (a song).