Sergii
Hi everyone! I have a question about the word "lit".     I got into an awkward situation. I said, "Ivan is so lit." Now, my friends think that Ivan is drunk. However, I wanted to say that Ivan was an awesome man.     Is it true that when we speak about people the word "lit" means "drunk"? Thank you!
Nov 15, 2021 7:12 AM
Answers · 12
2
Hello! Yes, "lit" can also mean "drunk" but I think it's mostly used in British slang, or at least personally I've only heard my British friends say it. Every time I've heard an American person saying "lit" instead, it meant "amazing". I hope to have helped you!
November 15, 2021
2
Sergei - welcome to the shell game of vernacular English! lol If I was describing someone my age (mid-60s) as being "lit" I would definitely mean "drunk" or somehow intoxicated. But for someone of your generation (a little older than my students who are mid-20s) it would definitely mean "great" or "amazing" (the inference being that they're "on fire" or very passionate about something.) Liz is spot-on about being careful, but don't be timid. Situations like this make language grow and that's decidedly "lit" ;-)
November 15, 2021
2
Yup, using lit as slang for amazing is a new internet generation thing. Previously it was used as slang for intoxicated. In fact, many older people will mean intoxicated when they say lit.
November 15, 2021
2
That's new to me ... Here's what I've found online Lit has been used as slang for over a century, but it used to be slang for "drunk." Now, "lit" has taken on a new slang meaning describing something that is "exciting or excellent." Update: This meaning was added in January 2021. ... 'Lit' has been a slang term meaning "intoxicated" for over a century.
November 15, 2021
1
I've also heard it more as *drunk* so you I guess it's best to avoid such ambiguity in the first place or you could easily elaborate on his behavior by using a couple of other adjectives such as delightful & amazing for example.
November 15, 2021
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