WTF Is 'Glazing' And Why Do Kids Keep Saying It?

From gurt to tuff to six-seven, it’s safe to say Gen Z and Gen Alpha are creating an entirely new language among themselves. 

We’ve recently covered off the meaning behind Ballerina Cappuccina, what the sigma?!, as well as more problematic terms used by teens like bop and good boy.

This week, according to teachers, the word of the moment is glazing. And no, we’re not talking about decorating doughnuts or the act of installing windows. 

In a video on the trending words kids are using currently, TikTok creator and teacher Philip Lindsay said there’s a grug meme doing the rounds, but also “a lot more glazing” which “has been around for a while”.

So, what does glazing mean?

In TikTok video shared last year, Aaron Makelky, an AI teacher and consultant, asked one of his Gen Z students to explain “glazing” to him. 

The student said: “Glazing is basically overhyping someone or having a biased opinion towards another person.”

Makelky responded: “So when your buddy gives a presentation in class and it’s average [and you’re] like ‘yeah that’s the best one ever’ and you’re cheering for him – and it’s like, you’re glazing him?”

The online dictionary Merriam-Webster explained further that the word glaze or glazing – aka showering someone or something with excessive praise – usually carries “a note of disapproval”.

“The word is often used in online fandoms of sports, movies, anime, etc., to suggest not just that someone’s praise is over-the-top, but that it is unwarranted, and even annoying to the individual who does not like the person/thing being glazed,” according to the dictionary.

Parade adds that: “Glaze is when you praise someone too much to the point of it being annoying or cringe.”

Well, now you know.