cracked
Cracked means exceptionally skilled when a skill follows it, as in cracked at Fortnite. With a person as the object, getting cracked is adult slang for sex.
By Cal Hewitt, Gen X ·
What it means
"Cracked" has two main slang meanings, and the words after it tell you which one you are reading. "Cracked at" plus an activity, as in "he's cracked at Fortnite", is praise for someone exceptionally skilled. "Getting cracked", "cracking someone" or "cracked a girl", with a person as the object and no activity named, is adult slang for having sex. A bare "he's cracked" can also mean crazy, which is the older informal sense. In gaming, "cracked" praises fast reactions, precise aim, strong mechanics or one impressive play. You will hear it in Twitch chats, Discord servers, gaming subreddits and TikTok gaming videos. Said to someone, "you're cracked" is almost always a compliment, especially right after a great play. Said about someone, it is usually praise among gamers too, though the conversation around it matters more. Naming the activity removes the doubt, which is why "cracked at Fortnite" is the clearest form. StreamerNews' streaming glossary defines it as exceptionally, almost unfairly skilled at a game, especially with mechanics like aim or reactions. People also use it for a sport, an instrument or a school subject when the skill is named, and a mediocre play called "cracked" is a way to tease a player who is full of themselves. SheKnows explains "getting cracked" in an August 2025 article as Gen Z TikTok slang for having sex, and contrasts it with "I'm cracked at Fortnite". "Tryna crack" means trying to. A TikTok trend built on the phrase has people joking that they "got cracked last night" and are handing out extra fries. The grammar test sorts the two: look at what follows the word. An activity means skill, a person as the object with no activity named means the sexual sense, and a bare description of someone can mean crazy. Dictionary.com's British entry lists "crazy" as an informal sense of cracked, which is the one many older readers know. Calling a person cracked to suggest they are mentally unstable can be insulting, and the gaming compliment is a different thing. Older readers may also know "crack shot" and "crack troops", where Oxford Learner's Dictionaries defines the adjective crack as expert and highly trained, or excellent at something.
How to use it
“bro is cracked at valorant, he hit six headshots in a row”
Gaming praise. The activity is named.
“she's cracked at basketball, i can't guard her”
Praise outside gaming, clear because the sport is named.
“you're cracked at this game, teach me”
A compliment said directly to the player.
“that guy is cracked, don't listen to him”
No activity named, so this is the older sense, crazy.
Where it came from
Upcomer's Fortnite terminology guide, published July 26, 2019, defines "cracked" as a description used when a player is very good at the game or makes a great play. The same guide lists "cracked" as the callout for breaking another player's shield. British Esports gives the same two Fortnite meanings in a jargon page from November 9, 2022.
Know Your Meme's May 12, 2022 guide says the term picked up steam in Fortnite culture in 2019, and records a July 31, 2019 Urban Dictionary entry for the gaming sense, which shows early online use without showing where the word began. A 2020 TikTok meme then carried the phrase beyond gamers. Know Your Meme dates the original "My Friend Justin Is Cracked At Fortnite My Guy" video to late May 2020, its YouTube reupload to June 8, 2020, and the audio's reuse on TikTok to November and December 2020.
No single coiner is documented for the gaming sense. One Urban Dictionary account says Apex Legends players used "cracked" for a broken shield and that Fortnite players took it as praise. Know Your Meme reports that Reddit commenters disputed that account, and it remains unconfirmed. Fortnite is the best-documented early home of the word, and the first spoken use is unknown. Spanish speakers already know the idea: Spanish calls a star player "un crack", especially in football.
No single person is credited, the origin is commonly reported.
Where it's popular
Gaming spaces such as Twitch chat, Discord, gaming subreddits and TikTok gaming video, with the sexual sense on TikTok and Reddit.
How it caught on
- July 26, 2019Upcomer's Fortnite terminology guide defines "cracked" as a very good player and as breaking another player's shield.
- July 31, 2019Know Your Meme records an Urban Dictionary entry for the gaming sense added on this date.
- Late May 2020The original "My Friend Justin Is Cracked At Fortnite My Guy" TikTok is posted, according to Know Your Meme.
- June 8, 2020The McPepsi Memes YouTube channel reuploads the Justin clip.
- November and December 2020TikTok creators reuse the Justin audio, which spreads the phrase beyond Fortnite players.
- May 12, 2022Know Your Meme publishes its guide to what it means to be cracked.
- November 9, 2022British Esports publishes its Fortnite jargon page with both meanings of cracked.
- August 6, 2025SheKnows explains "getting cracked" as Gen Z TikTok slang for sex.
Test yourself
Which cracked is it?
0/21. A teammate says "she's cracked at Valorant". What do they mean?
2. Which detail tells you "cracked" is not about a game?
// the shop Shop LOST IN TRANSLATION shirts and hoodies for families who speak two kinds of slang
Related slang
More word guides
How every generation says it
Questions people ask
What is cracking in Gen Z slang?
Cracking someone is slang for having sex, as in "getting cracked". Check the grammar: a person as the object with no activity named is the sexual sense, while "cracked at" plus an activity such as Fortnite is gaming praise.
What does it mean if you cracked someone?
It uses the same sexual sense, with a person as the object. If the sentence says "cracked at" a named game or sport instead, it is praise for skill.
What does tryna crack mean in slang?
It means trying to have sex. "Tryna crack" has no activity named and points at a person, while "cracked at" plus an activity is gaming praise.
What does it mean when you cracked a girl?
It is the same sexual slang, with a person as the object and no activity named. "She's cracked at Fortnite" is the gaming sense and means she plays very well.
What does "I got cracked" mean?
Spanish-speaking readers ask this too. It carries the sexual sense, so apply the same test: no named activity and a person involved points to sex, while "cracked at" plus a game or sport means skill.
Is cracked a compliment?
In gaming, yes. "You're cracked at this game" praises skill, and anyone can say it. It is informal, so "exceptionally skilled" fits a report or work email better, and naming the activity keeps the compliment clear.
Know Your Meme dates the "Justin is cracked at Fortnite" TikTok to late May 2020, less than a year after Upcomer's July 2019 guide listed the gaming sense.
- https://upcomer.com/fortnite-terminology-and-communication-terms-to-know
- https://britishesports.org/the-hub/about-esports/game-jargon-fortnite/
- https://knowyourmeme.com/editorials/guides/what-does-it-mean-to-be-cracked
- https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/my-friend-justin-is-cracked-at-fortnite-my-guy
- https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/1234909271/gen-z-getting-cracked/
- https://www.dictionary.com/browse/cracked
- https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/crack_3
- https://streamernews.gg/glossary/
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