What does “babygirl” mean on TikTok and what does it have to do with middle-aged men?

Several people on TikTok have started using the word “babygirl”, especially when talking about middle-aged men. But what does it mean? Here’s everything you need to know.

It’s not uncommon for social media sites like TikTok to come up with new words or phrases. But TikTokers have also managed to take a word and give it a new meaning that’s completely different to what it originally meant

One of these words is “babygirl”. It is often used as an endearing pet name, usually aimed at women. But it has recently started to be known with a different meaning.

As it’s now often used while talking about middle-aged male fictional characters, people are getting confused as to how and why the meaning of the word changed. So what does it mean now?

What does babygirl mean?

According to Urban Dictionary, babygirl is “a term used towards grown fictional men who have the fandom in a loving chokehold.”

One popular TikTok also argues that a babygirl should have two of three things: “Eyes, cries, and war crimes. They have beautiful eyes, they’ve cried onscreen, they’ve committed atrocities.”

A second TikToker named Zoe explained in her video: “Fandoms choose who they’re gonna “babygirlify”, and it’s usually like the traditional, like, masculine big burly grumpy man, and it transcends gender. It can be literally anyone.

The word is now often used in a more ironic sense. It’s often aimed specifically at men in their thirties and above, who might not initially be associated with words like “baby” or “girl.”

Some examples of characters that TikTok users have deemed to be “babygirls” are Joel from The Last of Us and Walter White from Breaking Bad, as well as actor Pedro Pascal.