Pop Culture dictionary
boyfriend air
[boi-frend air]
What is boyfriend air?
Boyfriend air is a phenomenon of a woman supposedly becoming less physically attractive or less happy with her appearance after spending time with a boyfriend.
The term boyfriend air is most often used by women who are in relationships with men. The term is most often used on social media, especially TikTok.
Boyfriend air is used to describe an alleged phenomenon in which a woman’s looks decline after being with her boyfriend. Often, this specifically refers to a woman using less makeup, wearing less fashionable clothing, or generally becoming unconcerned with her appearance.
Boyfriend air is a popular term and hashtag on TikTok. It is often used in TikTok videos in which a woman supposedly shows her appearance before and after spending time with her boyfriend. Usually the video shows her transition from a dressy look to a more disheveled one. Alternatively, the video might depict the same thing happening before and after being in a relationship.
Example: That boyfriend air has my makeup looking terrible these days.
Where does boyfriend air come from?
Boyfriend air was inspired by the older term school air. In 2022, TikTok users shared a popular theory that said women’s makeup and hair became worse after a day of school. This phenomenon was jokingly attributed to “school air” having a negative effect on makeup. TikTok users noticed the same supposed phenomenon happening when spending time with a boyfriend, which inspired the similar term boyfriend air.
Boyfriend air in this context has been used on TikTok and other social media platforms since at least early 2023.
boyfriend air is real everyone, stay safe
— cai ✿ (@feelingsknny) February 11, 2023
boyfriend air is so real i’m just now realizing I haven’t showed face on my socials since getting into that relationship
— tae (@ashantealaysia) February 15, 2023
Examples of boyfriend air
Who uses boyfriend air?
The term boyfriend air is most commonly used on social media, especially TikTok. It is often used by women who believe their appearance gets worse after being with a boyfriend.
Boyfriend air hits hard sometimes😔😔😔
— alzie (@Drfrosty13) November 12, 2023
I’m fighting boyfriend air with everything I’ve got
— haleemah is learning French (@notevenvibes) October 31, 2023
I’ve had like 2 glow ups since my ex and I broke up boyfriend air is so real 🤧
— laurelpalooza (@hoesaintlaurel) October 28, 2023
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of boyfriend air like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of boyfriend air that will help our users expand their word mastery.