(slang) To bully (someone); to extort, threaten, intimidate, menace or harass (someone); to demonstrate strength or dominance over (someone).
(slang) To bully (someone); to extort, threaten, intimidate, menace or harass (someone); to demonstrate strength or dominance over (someone).
"flex on" means to bully (someone); to extort, threaten, intimidate, menace or harass (someone); to demonstrate strength or dominance over (someone). It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
"flex on" means to bully (someone); to extort, threaten, intimidate, menace or harass (someone); to demonstrate strength or dominance over (someone). It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
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.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
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The action of the verb flex; a bending of something, a tightening of the muscles.
To show off — possessions, skills, achievements, partners, views. "Hard flex" = unmissable brag. "Soft flex" = casually dropped reference. "Weird flex but ok" disarms someone bragging about something irrelevant: a one-line roast for oversharers.
Verb: to show off, especially on social media. "He's flexing his new car." Cross-pollinated from hip-hop into general slang.
(intransitive, slang, AAVE) To look good; to be dressed up so as to express one's wealth; to be blinged out; to look hard.
"flex on" is informal English meaning to bully (someone); to extort, threaten, intimidate, menace or harass (someone); to demonstrate strength or dominance over (someone). It is used widely across English varieties. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "to bully (someone)" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "flex on" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.
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Showing off — wealth, status, accomplishments, or muscles. Usually social-media-coded.