What Does 'Zesty' Mean? The TikTok Slang Term Explained

Calling people "zesty" on TikTok is basically the new way of calling someone "sus." It's everywhere across the app, present in multiple meme trends like "stroke that thing Cuzzo" and "21, can you do something for me?" Picturing BBL Drake, in general, is a good way to imagine the meaning of the slang term "zesty."

To start off, "zesty," when used by TikTokers, most often means flamboyant in a way that comes off as homosexual. To be "zesty" in the eyes of a straight male TikToker is like them calling you "gay" in a middle school insult. However, "zesty" is a bit more deflective than that. It doesn't directly address its derogatory nature.

Despite being somewhat problematic, "zesty" is not always a bad thing and it's often not meant to be an insult. Let's explain.

Where Does "Zesty" Come From?

Like any good online slang term, it was first logged on Urban Dictionary in 2009, initially described as, "The way my advisor describes someone who looks and dresses like they could be gay or homosexual." In 2022, more Urban Dictionary definitions started to surface, inspired by the word's usage on TikTok.

Videos using the hashtag "#zesty" surfaced en masse starting in January 2022, all linking back to one video that showed several young Black men posing effeminately around the house.

"Zesty" Usage In Memes

Memes using the word "zesty" play on two factors. The first one is the homosexual and effeminate connotation of the word. The second factor is the oddity of the word; before 2022 it was not a widely used word at all. Meme creators basically capitalized on both aspects: what it inferred and its low usage. Plus, it starts with a "z," which again adds to the oddity of its sound.

Going into the remainder of 2022, the word "zesty" appeared in a lot of videos. As an example, imagine someone is dancing and their hips are moving a little too much: zesty. Say someone is waving "Hi" but moving their elbow a little too much: zesty.

From there, animals were called zesty, songs were called zesty, concepts were called zesty… The word oversaturated platforms like Twitter, Instagram and iFunny.

How do you use "Zesty" in a sentence?

• "Bro is looking a little zesty with his hair dyed pink."
• "LeBron's looking a little zesty when he squats for that free throw."
• "Don't call me zesty because I was just kidding when I called you zesty."

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