English · Slang Attested

bougie

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Also seen as: boujee · boujée

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Behaving like or pertaining to people of a higher social status, middle-class / bourgeois people (sometimes carrying connotations of fakeness, elitism, or snobbery).

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

Hey, look, man, I haven't changed, I'm not gonna change and I'm not down with this bougie stuff.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Fancy or good-looking, without connotations of snobbery or pretentiousness.

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “bougie” mean?

Behaving like or pertaining to people of a higher social status, middle-class / bourgeois people (sometimes carrying connotations of fakeness, elitism, or snobbery).

Is “bougie” formal or informal?

bougie is generally derogatory, slang.