A boring, obvious, or universally-agreed-upon opinion posted as if it were an insight. "‘Customer service is frustrating' is a cold take, sir." Used as a dismissal that still reads as clever.
"‘Customer service is frustrating' is a cold take, sir."
“Bukayo Saka is better than Noni Madueke. That’s my cold take.”
A cold take is the opposite of a hot take: an opinion so safe and obvious that nobody could disagree. "Pizza is good" is a cold take. Used sarcastically online to mock people who think their boring opinion is brave. Not concerning, just internet vocabulary about discourse and opinions. If your kid uses it constantly, ask them where they first heard it, not to police their speech but to understand which online community they are in.
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 — what a textbook won't teach you.
Add your own interpretation of "cold take".
Viral internet speak — memes, ratios, main-character moments, and the algospeak of every platform from Twitter to Reddit to TikTok comment sections.
See all Internet & Memes slang on Slangora.
Browse all slang words starting with C.
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