What does ‘glazing’ mean on TikTok?

The term glazing has sparked confusion after growing more popular on TikTok, after first originating on different streams on Twitch.

TikTok is notorious for spawning viral phrases, abbreviations, and slang words. New phrases and terms pop up on the app every day, and it often becomes difficult to keep up with what they all mean.

‘Glazing’ is one slang that has been particularly popular on the short-form video app after originating on Twitch streams. While scrolling through your For You Page, you might have spotted it in comment sections or videos.

The term has sparked confusion for many users, however, leaving them wondering what it means and when it’s used.

What does ‘glazing’ mean on TikTok?

On TikTok, ‘glazing’ is when you overhype and over-compliment someone to the point where it’s really annoying and cringeworthy. It’s comparable to being “kiss-ass” and “suck-up.”

Urban Dictionary says ‘glazing’ is when you’re “sucking up to someone,” which is also known as “meatriding” or “d*ckriding.”

The term is also popular in the streaming world. According to Know Your Meme, it first surfaced on Discord in late 2021 and became increasingly prominent on Twitch.

When Twitch streamers like Kai Cenat, Duke Dennis, xQc, and Adin Ross began to use the phrase, it quickly went viral on the platform. The word is often spammed in chats when a streamer is over-praising someone. 

Eventually, ‘glazing’ found its way into TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube, and has since become a common word in many people’s vocabulary in 2024.