What Does 'Mog' Mean On TikTok? 'Mogging' As 'Lookism' Slang Explained

A niche aspect of internet-bred incel culture has leaked onto the teens on TikTok, with young men exchanging lookism chatter about how to best improve their physical appearance with the hope of attracting women. The community has its own lingo, with the term mogging often being evoked to describe the act of simply being more handsome than your peers.

But where did this word come from and what exactly does it mean? Here's a brief recap of the history of the term mog, from 4chan incel forums to slick TikTok propaganda.

Where Does The Word 'Mog' Mean?

The word "mogging" is derived from the acronym AMOG, which stands for "alpha male of the group." To "mog" someone is to assert one's dominance over them, with the hopes of impressing women. The word comes from pickup artist communities that are preoccupied with the urge to attract women, despite having some pretty misogynistic conceptions of them.

Such ideas about "lookism" stem from the belief that attractive people live life on easy mode by earning more respect from their peers and being more appealing to women. But for some people "mogging" isn't just about looks, it can be about being smarter, richer, or better dressed than other men.

Where Did The Term 'Mogging' Originate?

The term "mogging" has been documented online since at least 2016, finding its origins in fitness forums and imageboards. A May 19th, 2016 post on 4chan's /fit/ saw the word being used to describe a 7-foot-tall bodybuilder. Later that year, a British user complained about getting "height-mogged" in a /fit/ thread.

How Did The Term 'Mogging' Become A Meme?

The term mogging spread to fitness-focused meme pages on Instagram in 2021, as seen in posts by @dark_iron_gains and @memes.to.depth from that year.

Jokes about "mogging" or "being mogged" continued after 2021, however, the term also came to be used ironically and jokingly, as seen in a 4chan post where someone talks about how their muscular baby "mogged."

How Did The Term 'Mogging' Grow Popular On TikTok?

The term grew popular on TikTok around the time of the "mog" meme renaissance, as seen in a September 2021 post by @eddyshreds, and a March 2022 post by @7alfredo13, which gathered nearly 2 million plays.

For the full history of Mogging, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.