What Does 'On God' Mean?

As far as slang terms go, 'On God' feels like one that's always existed. Most people in today's day and age have "sworn to God" before. For Christians and many other religious groups, that might be a sin, but for the rest of us (entrenched in memes and internet culture), the phrase feels like second nature as if it's a caption written above every "For Real" moment.

The meaning of "On God" is an abbreviation of the phrase "I swear to God" or "I swear on God" to demonstrate to someone (in fewer words) that you're telling the truth or something is equated to the truth. But where did "On God" come from and how is it used in memes? Allow us to explain.

Where Did "On God" Come From?

It's hard to pinpoint exactly where "on god" came from, but Google Trends graphs indicate a spike in search queries amid March 2005. The reasoning behind this is currently unknown, however, in 2008, the phrase was added to Urban Dictionary by a user named GeT'Mo.ChEdDa, who defined it as, "When your serious, and no one believes you."

"On God" thereby started in African-American dialect in the early 2000s. It became notable as an online phrase in 2014 from mainstream Twitter accounts that used it as an image caption. At this moment in meme history, notable accounts like @FillWerrell started using it, no matter the context of the image macro. This repeated usage from arguably normie profiles cemented "On God" as a caption that would work with everything.

"On God" Usage In Memes

From 2014 onward, more and more meme creators started to exploit the highly remixable nature of "On God." Many accounts with 1 million or more followers, like WorldStarHipHop or Fuck Jerry, figured out that they could steal memes with ease if they just used "On God" as an overarching caption.

From this oversaturation, ironic "On God" memes started to emerge. It became hard to not coincide the term with other, over-used, hip-hop captions like "For Real" or "No Cap." Then, a variant emerged, "On God?" as if the meme's character was questioning if anything was "On God" or not anymore. "On God?" found its way to many platforms like Instagram, iFunny and Tumblr, where "Hood Irony," was palpable.

Where Can I Use "On God?"

The best way to use "On God" in memes nowadays is in an ironic manner. Whether it's a TikTok skit that shows what God does to people who said "On God" too much, or in the ever-growing "On God?" sect, the safest bet going forward is to avoid cringe.

Overall though, there's no secret to using "On God." The basis of all comedy is being relatable, so if a meme or idea is funny to the majority of the internet's population, then there's no doubt that it's an "On God" moment, worthy of documentation.

How do you use "On God" in a sentence?

• "This dinner is amazing, mom, on God."
• "On God, I've never met a guy like you."
• "Oh, on God?"

For the full history of "On God," be sure to check out our entry on the slang term here for even more information.