"toey" is sexual slang. In short, it refers to agitated, anticipatory, excited (sometimes specifically sexually so), nervous. Among teens it is usually used jokingly, as crude banter, or in TikTok-style algospeak rather than as a serious statement of behaviour. Persistent or aggressive use directed at a specific person, especially online, is the bit worth paying attention to: that can shade into harassment. If you hear it once in a chat with friends, it is probably nothing. Repeated targeted use deserves a conversation about respect.
toey
(slang, chiefly, Australia) Agitated, anticipatory, excited (sometimes specifically sexually so), nervous.
Etymology timeline
Born ~1980 · no dated citations yetDefinitions
(slang, chiefly, Australia) Agitated, anticipatory, excited (sometimes specifically sexually so), nervous.
"toey" is sexual slang. In short, it refers to agitated, anticipatory, excited (sometimes specifically sexually so), nervous. Among teens it is usually used jokingly, as crude banter, or in TikTok-style algospeak rather than as a serious statement of behaviour. Persistent or aggressive use directed at a specific person, especially online, is the bit worth paying attention to: that can shade into harassment. If you hear it once in a chat with friends, it is probably nothing. Repeated targeted use deserves a conversation about respect.
"toey" is informal English meaning agitated, anticipatory, excited (sometimes specifically sexually so), nervous. It is mainly heard in Australian or New Zealand English. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "agitated" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "toey" 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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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 Australian & NZ slang slang
Aussie and Kiwi vocabulary — bogan, daggy, brekkie, sheila, bach, jandals — the whole Antipodean lexicon, including outback dialect, surf and beach culture, and Sydney/Melbourne street slang.
See all Australian & NZ slang slang on Slangora.
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Other words near "toey" (T)
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Semantically related
- toey as a Roman sandal81%
(Australia, simile, informal) Extremely anxious for sex.
- jiggy64%
(slang) Jittery, fidgety, restless, excited.
- nervy63%
(British) Feeling nervous, anxious or agitated.
- toolie62%
(Australia, slang) An adult reveller who deliberately travels to a destination where schoolies congregate, often to solicit sex from them.
- troppo62%
(Australia, slang, with go) Crazy, mad, strangely behaving; especially as attributed to hot weather.