Romantic partner — short for "Before Anyone Else." By the mid-2020s slightly millennial-coded but still in active use, especially in captions and texts.
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Romantic partner — short for "Before Anyone Else." By the mid-2020s slightly millennial-coded but still in active use, especially in captions and texts. Gen Z is more likely to write "boo," "my person," or just the name.
"Movie night with bae."
Bae is a term of endearment for a romantic partner, friend, or even food ("avocado is bae"). Origin is debated: either short for "baby" or a backronym for "before anyone else." Not concerning. Slightly dated now; teens may use it ironically. If your kid uses it constantly, ask them where they first heard it, not to police their speech but to understand which online community they are in.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Add your own interpretation of "bae".
How people talk about dating apps, modern romance, and the situationships they swear they're over — from ghosting and breadcrumbing to soft-launching, hard-launching, and the ick.
See all Relationships & Dating slang on Slangora.
Browse all slang words starting with B.
Endearment for a partner or crush — "my boo" = "my person." Older than "bae," slightly more romantic than "bestie." Still widely used in texts, birthday captions, and R&B lyrics from 2004 to forever.
Describing someone whose whole vibe, energy, and behavior signals that they would make the ideal partner — not because of looks alone, but because of the specific warmth, attentiveness, and ease they project. Bae coded is an endorsement of someone's full presence rather than just their appearance. It's the person who automatically offers their jacket, remembers the small things, and makes people around them feel seen. Online it's used to validate people in photos, videos, or secondhand stories — a collective nod that this person has the right energy.
A romantic partner who's technically fine — shows up, says the right things most of the time, and isn't actively harmful — but inspires zero butterflies and maybe a small existential crisis at 2 AM. The mid bae is the relationship equivalent of a 6/10 movie you'll forget by the weekend: not bad enough to leave, not good enough to brag about. Often discovered during a conversation where you try to describe them to a friend and realize every sentence starts with 'well, they're not, like, awful...'
Bae is a term of endearment for a romantic partner, friend, or even food ("avocado is bae"). Origin is debated: either short for "baby" or a backronym for "before anyone else." Not concerning. Slightly dated now; teens may use it ironically. If your kid uses it constantly, ask them where they first heard it, not to police their speech but to understand which online community they are in.
Bae is informal English for a loved one, romantic partner, or favourite thing. Originally African American slang, mainstreamed via Twitter around 2013. Use only in casual speech. Formal equivalents: "sweetheart," "darling," "partner." Common non-native mistake: using it in formal speech or business writing. Also note that since around 2020 native speakers often use bae ironically rather than sincerely. Read or listen to the word in context several times before trying it yourself; the right register is harder to learn than the dictionary meaning.
“Click here for more information.") From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia British defence, security and aerospace company "BAE" redirects here.”
“[Jump to content](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Aerospace#bodyContent) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Aerospace and defence company "BAe" redirects here.”
To make the sound of a wild animal, to bay.