"have it going on" means: To be attractive or socially successful or have an aura of success.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
have it going on
(idiomatic, chiefly, African American Vernacular English) To be attractive or socially successful or have an aura of success.
Definitions
US
#1·Apr 27, 2026US
(idiomatic, chiefly, African American Vernacular English) To be attractive or socially successful or have an aura of success.
For parents
"have it going on" means: To be attractive or socially successful or have an aura of success.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
"have it going on" means: To be attractive or socially successful or have an aura of success.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (African American) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
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.
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🎤About Black culture & AAVE slang
Slang from Black American Vernacular English (AAVE), hip-hop, drag and ballroom culture, the Caribbean, and NYC street vocabulary. The single largest source of new mainstream English slang in living memory.
See all Black culture & AAVE slang on Slangora.
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Other words near "have it going on" (H)
have been in the warshave been to an Irish weddinghave drink takenhave formhave gotHaveinghave it offhave it on lockHavenhave nothing onhave-not provincehave no use for
Browse all slang words starting with H.
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(idiomatic, colloquial, chiefly, US) Be attractive, outgoing (typically of women).
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(idiomatic, colloquial, chiefly, US) Appreciatively, of someone or something for being active and successful in a pursuit, to have the ability to be active and successful in a pursuit.
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(transitive, vulgar, US, AAVE, chiefly in the negative) To have an advantage over, to be superior to.
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(US, slang) To have matters under control.
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