About

Lit is a slang term used both in conversation and online as an adjective to describe a party, perhaps with levels of intoxication through drugs and alcohol, or to describe anything exciting.

Origin

The earliest online definition of "Lit" appeared on October 21st, 2002. It was submitted by ralph fff^[1] and was defined as "extremely intoxicated."

Spread

Years later, in 2015, Urban Dictionary user TheGreenAbyss clarified the definition came from the mid-20th century, where it was used to refer to jazz musicians achieving the perfect level of intoxication to play well.^[1] In 2016, Merriam-Webster^[2] traced the origin back to the 1910s, where the earliest recorded use of the phrase appeared 1918's War Birds: Diary of an Unknown Aviator, as "We walked into the vamp's house. We all got lit and had a hell of a time." Several other definitions of "Lit," as well as variations on the phrase like "It's Lit,"^[3] "Lit AF,"^[4] and "Get Lit,"^[5] appear on Urban Dictionary. It has also been defined in articles by Bustle,^[6] The Odyssey,^[7] USA Today,^[8] and others.

On December 1st, 2017, Jake Paul released a Christmas song called "Litmas" that gained over 12 million views (shown below, left). On July 31st, 2017, a song by musician sydnee mcgee called "Lit Right Now" gained 1.2 million views (shown below, right). Both songs were notorious for being cringeworthy.

Other popular songs using "Lit" include the song "Everyday We Lit" by YFN Lucci, which gained over 125 million views. The song "You Know You Lit" by the Dobre Brothers featuring 6ix9ine gained over 18 million views (shown below, right).

Search Interest

External References