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basic
What does basic mean?
Describes someone or something seen as boringly mainstream and predictable, following popular trends without originality.
"Pumpkin spice everything in fall is peak basic."
Origin
"Basic" as a put-down for mainstream, unoriginal taste grew through hip-hop and internet culture in the early 2010s and became a widespread label for predictable trends.
Frequently asked questions
What does basic mean in slang?
Basic means unoriginally mainstream — liking only popular, predictable trends with no individuality.
Where did basic come from?
It grew through hip-hop and internet culture in the early 2010s as a put-down for unoriginal taste.
Is calling someone basic an insult?
It's a mild one, implying predictable taste, though some reclaim it self-deprecatingly.
How do you use basic in a sentence?
For example: "that's so basic" — meaning boringly mainstream.
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