ship war

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

Meaning · English

An intense and sometimes hostile disagreement between shippers of rival ships in a fandom.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

Oh, no, not another ship war between members of Team Edward and Team Jacob.

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).

Common questions

What does “ship war” mean?

An intense and sometimes hostile disagreement between shippers of rival ships in a fandom.

Is “ship war” formal or informal?

ship war is generally slang.