"BoomBayah" Is Another TikTok Term You Can Add to Your NSFW Dictionary

Keeping up with teenage slang is like playing whack-a-mole — just when you think you’ve nailed one term, another pops up. And then another. And soon enough, too many moles are up, and you just can’t keep them down! The latest term to make its rounds on TikTok is "BoomBayah," and while you’ve probably heard it before, it probably doesn’t mean what you think it does (if you even gave it any thought).

TikTokers are sharing videos with captions like "people doing BoomBayah" or their state of mind after doing "BoomBayah." Catching our drift yet?

Perhaps further explanation is needed, considering the younger generation has come up with a whole new meaning for "BoomBayah." And trust us, you might want to know what it really means before you start tossing the word around like people did with the phrase "wham bam, thank you ma’am" — without realizing it's NSFW context. Let’s break it down.

"BoomBayah" is the slang term for "sex" on TikTok, and here's why. As TikTok tightens its policies around sexually explicit content, including text and audio, the word "sex" has become a no-go. Using it in a video puts that content at risk of being removed. But, of course, that won’t stop people from finding a way around it. "BoomBayah" became the clever workaround, allowing users to sidestep these restrictions and keep their content flowing without violating the platform's policies.

This isn't the first time slang has been used to dodge censorship. Bethenny Frankel, for example, started using the term "Dior bags" to refer to "drones" after her content about the controversial drones was getting less engagement due to the topic's sensitive nature.

So, if you come across a viral video with the text overlay reading, "Guys, help, there are people doing BoomBayah in the bathroom," now you know what it means. And yes, there is a viral video with that caption, though no, there’s no actual footage of BoomBayah playing out, so don’t bother looking for it.

Others are using the term to create silly content, like TikToker @paperbagboy_, who shared, "Us after doing the BoomBayah," where she’s happily sipping on some water while her partner is knocked out in a chair. Just another way to keep things fun while avoiding the platform's restrictions!

Although "BoomBayah" has taken on a sexual context on TikTok, it’s also the name of a BLACKPINK song — and no, it doesn’t mean sex in that context.

While the term is featured in the chorus and intro of the song, the lyrics read: "Been a bad girl, I know I am / And I’m so hot, I need a fan / I don’t want a boy, I need a man," it doesn’t appear to be a NSFW term.

In fact, fans seem to interpret it as a way to express excitement or high energy. Perhaps that’s how the NSFW meaning of "BoomBayah" came about, after all?

So, the next time you hear or see "BoomBayah" on TikTok just know it’s code for something a little more risqué.