verb
YOLO
YOH-loh
verb
1
Used informally to justify a bold, reckless, or spontaneous decision, from the phrase "you only live once."
""I'm quitting my job to travel," she said. "YOLO.""
How to Use YOLO
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA slang shorthand for "you only live once," used to justify taking a risk or doing something impulsive.
When to use it
Very informal and now somewhat dated slang, often used self-mockingly.
Word Forms
YOLOed past tense, YOLOs singular
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Etymology
An acronym for "you only live once," a phrase dating back to the 19th century; the acronym itself was popularized around 2011 by the rapper Drake and entered the Oxford English Dictionary in 2016.