Raising What does yeet mean? The kids' slang, explained for parents
What does yeet mean? "Yeet" is a shout of excitement or approval, often yelled while throwing something. As a verb, to "yeet" something means to throw it hard, without caring where it lands. Merriam-Webster lists both meanings. The word spread through a 2014 dance on Vine and Black social media, and it's ordinary slang, not a swear word.
Yeet at a glance
| Means | A shout of excitement; as a verb, to throw something hard source |
|---|---|
| From | A 2014 dance spread on Black social media and Vine source |
| Recognition | American Dialect Society's slang word of the year for 2018 (per Dictionary.com) |
| Tone | Ordinary slang; no profanity |
Checked October 2026. Slang changes fast; meanings can differ between groups of kids.
What does yeet mean?
Short answer: A happy shout, or a hard throw.
- "Yeet!" on its own is a cheer, like "Yes!"
- "I yeeted it" means "I threw it hard." Merriam-Webster defines the verb as throwing "especially with force and without regard for the thing being thrown."
- Some kids joke that the past tense is "yote."
Where yeet comes from
According to Dictionary.com, "yeet" spread in 2014 as the name of a dance in Black social media culture, and a Vine video of the dance set off remixes and memes. A 2016 viral video showed a young woman shouting "Yeet!" as she threw a can into a school hallway. The American Dialect Society named it the slang word of the year for 2018. Merriam-Webster dates the shout to 2007 and the verb to 2017.
Is yeet a bad word?
Short answer: No. It contains no profanity, and Merriam-Webster lists it as ordinary slang.
The habit kids may copy: throw first, look later
In yeet videos, the joke is the throw itself. Some kids copy it with whatever is in their hands, including things that break or hurt.
Try tonight: yeet zone
Set up a basket and a pile of soft things, like socks or a pillow. Your child may yeet only those, only into the basket. Before each throw, they say "Stop, look, yeet." In our program, this is the lesson "The Pause Button": stop, breathe, choose.
FAQ
Is yeet a real word?
Yes. Merriam-Webster lists "yeet" as slang, both as a shout of excitement and as a verb meaning to throw hard.
What does yeeted mean?
"Threw something hard." "He yeeted the ball over the fence" means he threw it with force.
Where did yeet come from?
From a 2014 dance that spread on Black social media and Vine, according to Dictionary.com.
Is yeet a bad word?
No. It's ordinary slang with no profanity.
Related
Self-Control Activities for Kids: Games That Build It
Self-control activities for kids 4–7: how self-control develops, which games genuinely train it, and why instructions and reminders don't.
Read next →Raising Stoics is a 12-week program for ages 5–6, built on Stoic philosophy and developmental psychology. One lesson is "The Pause Button": stop, breathe, choose.