A woman who thinks she deserves special treatment
A Karen is typically described as an entitled woman who easily gets upset and expects certain privileges or special treatment. More often than not, the term is used to point out the self-centered behavior of white, affluent, middle-aged women. However, anyone behaving in an overly dramatic or demanding way can also be called a Karen.
The term began on Reddit in 2017, when a user vented about his ex-spouse, Karen, and her annoying actions. It quickly became a subreddit and a popular meme to mock women exhibiting petty aggressive behavior.
Online, you’ll often find the term associated with videos capturing women’s poor behavior. Examples of such behavior might be a woman preventing others from parking in a spot so her friend can park there, or screaming at retail employees over a refund policy.
At times, Karen behavior can escalate to dangerous levels, particularly in relation to racial issues. A case in point is the incident in May 2020 in Central Park, New York City, where a woman called the police on a Black man who merely asked her to leash her dog and falsely claimed that the man was “threatening her life.” This woman was subsequently labelled as the “Central Park Karen” when the video went viral.
Karen is one of many name-based slang terms used to describe people with specific traits or behavior. Other examples include names like Susan, Jennifer, Tasha, Brad, and Jason. So, remember to use these names wisely!
Example for using ‘Karen’ in a conversation
Hey, did you see that video of the woman yelling at the cashier for not accepting her expired coupon?
Yeah, total Karen move. I can’t believe how entitled some people can be.
I know, right? She acted like the world owed her something.
It’s just ridiculous. I can’t stand when people act that way.
Related Slang Words You Might Be Interested In
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|---|---|
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| Historybounding | Dressing up in clothes inspired by history |
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| Nite | 'Nite' stands for 'Night' |