General
groovy
What does groovy mean?
Wonderful, fashionable, or deeply satisfying; the all-purpose hippie stamp of approval.
"That whole set was so groovy I forgot where I was."
Origin
Born in 1930s Black American jazz culture, where playing 'in the groove' meant locking into the rhythm of a record's grooves. The youth and hippie movements of the 1960s broadened it into a general term of praise.
Frequently asked questions
What does groovy mean in slang?
It means excellent, cool, or pleasingly in harmony with the moment, used as a general term of approval.
Where did groovy come from?
From 1930s jazz slang, where being 'in the groove' meant a musician was locked perfectly into the rhythm; hippies widened it in the 1960s.
Is groovy still used today?
Mostly ironically or nostalgically now, as a deliberate nod to 1960s and 1970s counterculture style.
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