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YOLO

American  
[yoh-loh] / ˈyoʊ loʊ /

interjection

  1. You only live once! (used especially to rationalize impulsive or reckless behavior).

    I bought those expensive shoes I've been eying—YOLO!


verb (used without object)

  1. to engage in impulsive or reckless behavior with this sort of rationalization.

    We’ve been YOLOing all night.

Etymology

Origin of YOLO

First recorded in 1995–2000; but popularized by the Canadian rapper Drake in his song “The Motto”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

On top of that, who among us, after the past year and a half, has been immune from a predominant sense of YOLO?

From Seattle Times • Jun. 27, 2021

"YOLO" is an acronym that stands for the saying "you only live once."

From Fox News • Jun. 26, 2021

Of particular interest will be the Republican race in Pennsylvania, which will award 71 delegates – more than any other state tonight – on a basis that can only be described as YOLO.

From The Guardian • Apr. 26, 2016

But while it’s often taken to be something like a 1930s version of YOLO, that kind of carpe diem economics has nothing to do with what Keynes was actually writing about.

From Slate • May 6, 2013

S.N.L. says YOLO, and a surfer may have ridden a 100-foot wave.

From New York Times • Feb. 3, 2013

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