What does 'aura' mean? Explaining the viral slang term
You may think aura is just a simple description of someone's vibe, but it's actually way more than that, according to the internet. Nowadays, aura is used as a compliment, essentially calling someone cool or suave.
Throughout social media, users are saying their favorite athletes have aura because of their effortlessly cool appearance in games. In other scenarios, social media users believe that people are purposefully trying to increase their aura, called 'aura farming.'
Aura has even become tracked by a points system called 'aura points,' where someone gains or loses imaginary points based on an action.
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According to Merriam-Webster, aura is 'a distinctive atmosphere surrounding a given source,' but the slang definition is more complicated.
The dictionary's slang definition refers to specific qualities, 'stylishness; confident and suave excellence.'
'Aura farming' means 'doing random acts for the sake of gaining aura,' according to according to Urban Dictionary. It's often used in a derogatory fashion, with many TikTok users accuse athletes or other people of trying too hard to look cool.
For example, one TikTok creator made a video of the 'Greatest Aura Farming Cinematic Moments,' comprising movie moments where they believed a specific character was deliberately trying to look cool, such as Thanos in 'Avengers: Endgame' waiting to fight the Avengers.
'Auramaxxing,' a similar phrase that became popular on the internet, refers to someone attempting to increase their aura. One TikTok creator even gave life advice on how to be cool with the caption 'Auramaxxing 101.'
Aura points have become a popular way to describe how cool someone — or uncool — someone is based on social scenarios. When a TikTok user bowled a strike at a bowling alley while sitting down behind the lane, the caption read '+10000 aura points' because of how casually he accomplished the slick feat.
On the flip side, another TikTok user posted a video at a graduation event. Instead of going up on stage like the rest of the line, the user let several people go in front of her while standing awkwardly, leading to the caption '-100000 aura points.'
Merriam-Webster notes that the new definition first spread in 2020, referring to many figures in sports and entertainment. It got revamped in the summer of 2024 after going viral on platforms such as TikTok.
One video, which received 1.1 million likes on TikTok, highlights former Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson. The caption 'define aura' accompanies a video of the 6-foot-5-inch receiver needing multiple defenders to guard him at all times.
ESPN posted a video on TikTok of Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic, who was traded to the Lakers in one of the most impactful NBA trades of all time, next to new teammate LeBron James. The video shows the two before Doncic's first game with the caption 'aura,' referring to the swagger the two teammates exemplify.
Sports broadcasters have also picked up on the term, with one Houston Rockets announcer saying a player was 'auramaxxing,' after dunking a basketball in a TikTok post.
Aura has expanded beyond the media sports world. One user posted a TikTok video relating 'aura farming' to a moment in a school gym class dodgeball game when the 'athletic kid' gets back in the game.
How to use "aura" correctly
If you think someone is cool and effortlessly so, you can say that they have 'aura.' If you think someone is cool but you believe they are intentionally trying to look cool, you can say they are 'aura farming' or 'auramaxxing.'
But in most scenarios, you can leave aura for the kids to say, unless you want to lose precious aura points.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
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