Jasm means: Zest for accomplishment; drive.. The word is mostly archaic or historical; you will only encounter it in old texts, period drama, or school history rather than current teen conversation. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
jasm
(archaic, US, slang) Zest for accomplishment; drive.
Definitions
Global
#1·Apr 27, 2026Global
(archaic, US, slang) Zest for accomplishment; drive.
Jeremy has the kind of jasm a junior exec needs to reach the top of the ladder in the corporate world.
Origin: Apparently a variant of jism. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents
Jasm means: Zest for accomplishment; drive.. The word is mostly archaic or historical; you will only encounter it in old texts, period drama, or school history rather than current teen conversation. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
jasm means: Zest for accomplishment; drive.. Register: archaic, historical. Almost never used today; you will find it only in older texts, dictionaries of dialect, or historical writing. Avoid in active vocabulary. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
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Global
#2·Apr 27, 2026Global
(archaic) Jazz.
“Yes, sir. No mistake about that. Oh! she's just as full of jasm!”Frank Sargent laughed again. “You've got the start of me,” said he. “Now tell me what ‘jasm’ is.”“Well, it’s a sort of word, I guess, that made its…
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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 — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Other words near "jasm" (J)
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