Are you showing a little too much enthusiasm? Chances are, you might be “glazing,” and we’re not talking about doughnuts or pottery.
While the definition for “glaze,” according to Merriam-Webster, is “a liquid preparation applied to food on which it forms a firm glossy coating,” or “a smooth glossy or lustrous surface or finish,” the slang meaning born online is far from its traditional use.
“Glazing” is a popular internet slang term that originated in the 2020s. If you hear your kid use it, they are most likely saying someone is offering too much excessive praise towards a place, person, object or thing.
You can find the term all over the internet, especially on TikTok, when someone disapproves of someone’s over-the-top compliments. It is often used in pop culture and sports when a person compliments their favorite celebrity in excess.
Keep reading to decipher the meaning behind the slang “glazing.”
Where does ‘glazing’ come from?
According to Merriam-Webster, to “glaze” someone or something in the slang context is “to shower them with excessive praise.” Typically, glazing also refers to when the compliments are unwarranted.
The nouns “glaze” and “glazing” can also be used when someone’s praise is just a little too over-the-top.
One TikTok user specializing in explaining internet slang, @lizarragabooks, explained that “glazing” has a negative connotation and implies that someone is biased.
“It’s typically used to check someone like, ‘Hey, you’re doing too much; you’re hyping this person up way too much,” they said in a TikTok video.
Where does ‘glazing’ come from?
Merriam-Webster says that the phrase comes from the early 2020s. Evidently, the phrase is increasingly popular with several viral TikTok videos using the phrase in both 2024 and 2025 on social media.
The term is often used in pop culture and sports when referring to celebrities or famous athletes. For example, one TikTok post pointed out that some football commentators “glaze” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, even if he has a bad play.
“Glazing” is also used by popular Twitch streamers, such as Kai Cenat, who told photographers to “glaze” him when on the red carpet for the Grammys.
The term is sometimes used with a picture or GIF of doughnuts becoming glazed with liquid sugar, like one TikTok post with the caption, “girls after posting their best friend for girlfriend day.”
“I will show my appreciation for my girls 4LIFE,” one commenter replied to the post.
“Glaze” is often used for Lakers star LeBron James, with many fans of James creating parody “glaze” songs that overwhelmingly compliment the basketball player.
“You’re my GOAT and my king that I glaze,” one fan sang in a TikTok video featuring a parody of Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself.”
How to use ‘glazing’ in a sentence
During an edition of “What the kids are saying” on a November 2024 “Hoda and Jenna” segment, popular TikTok user and special education math teacher Phillip Lindsay explained to Hoda and Jenna how to use the phrase.
When Hoda asked if glazing is positive, Lindsay explained that you do not want to be a “glazer.”
Lindsay recalled a scenario when he was on lunch duty at his elementary school, when a basketball team of kids celebrated a three-point shot “like they just won the NBA Finals.”
“Somebody goes, ‘Yo, bro, stop glazing. It’s not that big of a deal,’” Lindsay told Hoda and Jenna.
“It’s overenthusiastic, even though we love enthusiasm,” Jenna replied.
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