bussin
Extremely good or excellent, especially delicious food.
By Cal Hewitt, Founder at Web Leveling · Researched from public sources ·
What it actually means
Bussin is an African American English slang adjective for something exceptionally good, with food as its best-known use. It can also praise music, clothes, an event, or a performance. The apostrophe in bussin’ reflects the reduced ending in informal spelling; it does not change the meaning.
See the quick definition in the bussin dictionary entry.
Where it came from
Merriam-Webster labels bussin’ African American English slang and defines it as extremely good, especially delicious. Widely repeated accounts connect it to Black speech and culture, but a single documented coiner and exact first use are not established.
No single person is credited, the origin is commonly reported.
Where it's popular
African American English and Black cultural communities, then broad English-language youth culture and social-media food talk.
Its wider spread should not erase its documented African American English label.
How it caught on
- Before mainstream social-media adoptionBussin circulated in African American English; a precise first use is not reliably established.
- Around 2020 to 2021Food reactions, memes, and short-form video helped the word reach broader youth audiences.
- 2026Merriam-Webster’s entry labels bussin’ African American English slang meaning extremely good, especially delicious.
How to use it
“These fries are bussin’.”
Praising food as especially delicious.
“That new track is bussin’.”
Extending the compliment to music.
Common mix-ups
Bussin does not only mean food, though food is its clearest and most common reference point. It is not an acronym, and calling it simply Gen Z slang misses its African American English roots.
Do you actually know it?
Is it actually bussin?
0/31. What is bussin’s core meaning?
2. Which source community is documented for bussin?
3. Which use fits bussin?
Related slang
Questions people ask
What does bussin mean?
It means extremely good or excellent, especially delicious.
Is bussin only used for food?
No. Food is common, but the word can also praise music, clothes, events, and other things.
Where does bussin come from?
Merriam-Webster identifies it as African American English slang; no single coiner is reliably documented.
Merriam-Webster’s definition makes the usual use very specific: bussin’ means excellent, especially delicious, not merely okay.
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