Lean means: A recreational drink combining prescription cough syrup with soda and candy. Heavily associated with Houston hip-hop and "purple drank" / "sizzurp" iconography. Carries serious health risks including. It touches on mental-health themes; if your teen uses it about themselves, a calm, non-judgemental check-in is worthwhile rather than a confrontation about the word itself. It has drug-related associations; worth a calm conversation about which side of the topic your teen is on.
lean
A recreational drink combining prescription cough syrup (containing codeine and promethazine) with soda and candy.
liːnDocumented since 1960s1960sBoomerhistoricalCurrent215 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
Seen in the wild
5 citations · last seen May 2026
Etymology timeline
Born ~1960 · 1 year of recorded useBoomer / counterculture eraSee decade cohort →
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
I came out as a trans man first before I realized I was more genderfluid & just tended to lean masc. It's a journey, & I'm glad you're trying out things to see what fits best!
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BlueskyMay 2026
Dumb fucking red button blue button, spent too much time thinking about it, i lean blue button
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BlueskyMay 2026
I'm showing my age here David but 1959 was a lean year for UK songs. I had a choice between Cliff, Lonnie Donegan or Russ Conway
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BlueskyMay 2026
Aww katto that's a mood if you ever want to chat or lean on feel free to message.
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BlueskyMay 2026
A majority of GOP leaning independents, not all independents. He is only carrying half the independents that lean towards voting for his party.
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Definitions
#1·Apr 26, 2026
A recreational drink combining prescription cough syrup (containing codeine and promethazine) with soda and candy. Heavily associated with Houston hip-hop and "purple drank" / "sizzurp" iconography. Carries serious health risks including respiratory depression.
"That song is full of references to lean."
Origin: Houston hip-hop scene from the 1960s/70s, popularized nationally by DJ Screw, Three 6 Mafia, and the chopped-and-screwed sound. Linked to multiple high-profile fatalities, which is part of why it's heavily referenced in lyrics.
For parents
Lean means: A recreational drink combining prescription cough syrup with soda and candy. Heavily associated with Houston hip-hop and "purple drank" / "sizzurp" iconography. Carries serious health risks including. It touches on mental-health themes; if your teen uses it about themselves, a calm, non-judgemental check-in is worthwhile rather than a confrontation about the word itself. It has drug-related associations; worth a calm conversation about which side of the topic your teen is on.
For ESL learners
lean means: A recreational drink combining prescription cough syrup with soda and candy. Heavily associated with Houston hip-hop and "purple drank" / "sizzurp" iconography. Carries serious. Register: very informal, often derogatory or vulgar. Avoid in formal, business, academic, or polite writing. Even in casual speech the word can offend and is best left out of a learner's 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.
Cluster: depressants
Heard in the wild
“I came out as a trans man first before I realized I was more genderfluid & just tended to lean masc. It's a journey, & I'm glad you're trying out things to see what fits best!”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Dumb fucking red button blue button, spent too much time thinking about it, i lean blue button”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I'm showing my age here David but 1959 was a lean year for UK songs. I had a choice between Cliff, Lonnie Donegan or Russ Conway”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Aww katto that's a mood if you ever want to chat or lean on feel free to message.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“A majority of GOP leaning independents, not all independents. He is only carrying half the independents that lean towards voting for his party.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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#8·May 3, 2026
A recreational drug composed of codeine-promethazine cough syrup mixed with usually soda and associated with the hip-hop culture of the Southern United States.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Show 11 more dictionary-style senses (imported)
#2·May 3, 2026
To incline in opinion or desire; to conform in conduct; often with to, toward, etc.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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#4·May 3, 2026
To rest or rely, for support, comfort, to use as a hard surface for writing, etc.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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#5·May 3, 2026
An organism that is lean in stature.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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#6·May 3, 2026
Having a low proportion or concentration of a desired substance or ingredient.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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#7·May 3, 2026
An inclination away from the vertical.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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#9·May 3, 2026
Having little extra or little to spare; scanty; meagre.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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#10·May 3, 2026
Of a character which prevents the compositor from earning the usual wages; opposed to .
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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#11·May 3, 2026
To thin out (a fuel-air mixture): to reduce the fuel flow into the mixture so that there is more air or oxygen.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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#12·May 3, 2026
Efficient, economic, frugal, agile, slimmed-down; pertaining to the modern industrial principles of "lean manufacturing".
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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#13·May 3, 2026
To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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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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??About Drugs & Substances slang
Slang for cannabis, opioids, stimulants, psychedelics, alcohol, prescription drugs, and rave/club culture.
See all Drugs & Substances slang on Slangora.
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