General
ratchet
What does ratchet mean?
Sometimes reclaimed positively as fun, unfiltered, and unbothered.
"It was a ratchet night out and I had a blast."
Origin
"Ratchet" emerged from Southern hip-hop and AAVE (notably Louisiana), possibly a variant of "wretched," and spread widely in the early 2010s, carrying both insulting and playful, reclaimed senses.
Frequently asked questions
What does ratchet mean in slang?
Ratchet means loud, messy, or unrefined — sometimes an insult, sometimes a self-aware, fun descriptor.
Where did ratchet come from?
It emerged from Southern hip-hop and AAVE, possibly from "wretched," and spread in the early 2010s.
Is ratchet always an insult?
No — it can be harsh, but it's also used playfully and reclaimed as fun and unfiltered.
How do you use ratchet in a sentence?
For example: "that's ratchet" — meaning messy or trashy.
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