Gurt & Gurting Slang: Meaning, Origin & Examples

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The new Gen Alpha slang from TikTok, explained

Co-authored by Tobi Nwodo and Hunter Rising

Last Updated: October 24, 2025 Fact Checked

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Gurt Meaning

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Origins

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Other Gen Alpha Slang

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“Gurting” is one of the newest slang terms Gen Alpha is obsessing over on TikTok, so it’s no surprise you’re probably hearing it everywhere. While the word has nothing to do with yogurt now, some of its origins have a loose connection to it. Keep reading, and we’ll cover what “gurt” means and how it became popular. We also have some more Gen Alpha slang definitions to help keep you in the loop!

What does “gurt” mean?

Content creator Tobi Nwodo says that “gurt” is a trending slang term used in videos. “Gurt” and “gurting” mean doing something that is very smart but is also very risky. Some people also use “gurt” to respond to “Yo,” as a fun play on the word yogurt. The term went viral after an April 2025 TikTok by @jdawg157.

Section 1 of 3:

What do “gurt” and “gurting” mean in slang?

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“Gurting” is doing something smart but also a little risky. When you see “gurting” on TikTok or hear your friends say it, they think whatever they’re doing is a smart choice, but there’s a bit of danger to it.^{[1]
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Research source} Some examples of “gurting” in a sentence include:
- “Brian’s talking to his crush, he’s totally gurting.”
- “Kelly was gurting when she stood up to the bullies like that.”
- “You’re going to start dating right after they broke up? You’re gurting.”
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“Gurt” can also be a way to respond to “yo.” When you break the word yogurt into 2 parts, it sort of sounds like you’re saying hi to someone named Gurt. If you say “Yo!” to one of your friends, there’s a chance they may say “Gurt!” back if they’re trying to be funny.
- If your friend greets you by saying “Gurt,” respond to them by saying “Yo!”
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“There’s a trend with an imaginary person called ‘Gurt,’” says Nwodo. “Essentially, how it goes is there’s someone who … comments on a video, like ‘Oh, this is fire.’ Then someone replies, ‘This is crazy.’ Then a third person called Gurt just says, ‘Yo,’ and they ruin the video.”^{[2]
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Expert Source

Tobi Nwodo
Content Creator

Expert Interview}

Section 2 of 3:

Origins of “Gurt” and “Gurting”

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Gurting became popular after a TikTok called it an underground slang term. On April 7, 2025, user @jdawg157 posted the now viral TikTok video of a lion sleeping in a field with text over it describing gurt/gurting as new slang terms. It says the definition is “when you do something that’s very smart but also very dangerous.”^{[3]
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Research source}
- The original TikTok now has over 1.4 million views, and the term has now made its way into Gen Alpha slang.
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Gurting videos play off a meme format that uses wildlife videos. A popular TikTok meme includes showing a blurry video of a wild animal with a caption saying, “I knew this was going to happen. What it’s doing is very smart but also very dangerous.” This meme even uses the definition of “gurting” so it’s a clear influence.
- An April 2025 TikTok by @snachez321.2 shows penguins walking in a line with the caption “See these penguins? I knew this was gonna happen. What [they’re] doing is very smart, but is also very dangerous.”
- Another April 2025 video from TikTok user @hystxric shows a video of 2 bears fighting in the middle of the street with a similar caption.
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“Gurt” as a greeting started as a viral pun. Even though people have been making “Yo, Gurt!” jokes online since 2012, it became popular in March 2025 with a TikTok by @_aboyo. The background shows a cartoon penguin, and the caption says, “Me: Yo….gurt / Gurt: wassgood twin”.^{[4]
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Research source}
- These videos are examples of “Juggtok” brainrot memes. This style of meme is most notable for the narrow text over a random background video and the distorted audio.

Section 3 of 3:

More Gen Alpha Slang Terms

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Keep up with Gen Alpha with our other slang guides. New slang pops up so fast on TikTok and other social media, and we’ve kept up with all the trending terms. Here are some of the most popular Gen Alpha terms you might still run into online:
- 6-7: a nonsensical phrase used as a funny response
- Glazing: showering someone with compliments
- I know ball: another way to say “I know what I’m doing”
- Sendy: an alternative to say “send it” or “let’s do this”
- Skibidi: usually used to refer to something as cool