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y'all

Second-person plural pronoun — "you all." Quintessentially Southern American English; spreading nationally as a useful gender-neutral plural "you."

jɔːlSilenthistoricalCurrent350 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
🗺️ Regional & Other
3 definitions
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Global
#1·Apr 26, 2026Global

Second-person plural pronoun — "you all." Quintessentially Southern American English; spreading nationally as a useful gender-neutral plural "you."

See it in action
  • “What tierlist should I make for you all? I'll do almost any tierlist for y'all.”

  • “>> if y'all are not dancing in your rooms”

  • “>> if y'all are not dancing in your rooms”

"How are y'all doing?"
Origin: Southern American English from the 1800s; etymology contested but most likely a contraction of "you all."
For parents

"y'all" means second-person plural pronoun — "you all. 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.

For ESL learners

"y'all" is informal English meaning second-person plural pronoun — "you all. It is used widely across English varieties. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "second-person plural pronoun — "you all" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "y'all" 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.

Heard in the wild
  • “What tierlist should I make for you all? I'll do almost any tierlist for y'all.”

    — r/teenagers· May 2026
  • “>> Yes. You let the OC black kid. Y'all”

  • “>> Yes. You let the OC black kid. Y'all”

  • “>> if y'all are not dancing in your rooms”

  • “>> Like, okay, I'm I told y'all I was going”

Show all 7 examples
  • “>> Like, okay, I'm I told y'all I was going”

  • “>> if y'all are not dancing in your rooms”

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Show 2 more dictionary-style senses (imported)
Global
#2·May 2, 2026Global

The group spoken or written to.

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Global
#3·May 2, 2026Global

To use the pronoun "y'all" (to).

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For specific readers

"y'all" means second-person plural pronoun — "you all. 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.

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 Regional & Other slang

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.

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