Redpill
Stable🎒High School🔶Manosphere originDefinition
Borrowed from The Matrix. Originally a manosphere term meaning 'seeing the truth' about gender and society, but the word has broken out of that box. Teens now use 'redpilled' loosely to mean 'I discovered the real truth about' or 'I got really into' basically anything: skincare, a band, Costco chicken, a TV show. In its original manosphere context, it's the entry point to a pipeline of increasingly extreme content about gender dynamics.
Dad Mode: You Should Probably Talk to Them
This one depends entirely on what comes after it. 'I got redpilled on how good this album is' just means they discovered something they love. 'I got redpilled on skincare' means they learned a lot about skincare. That's all fine and normal. 'I got redpilled on gender dynamics' or 'redpilled on relationships' is a different conversation entirely, because in that context they're talking about manosphere ideology. Ask what they got redpilled ON. The topic tells you everything you need to know.
Came from: The Matrix (1999) → men's rights forums (2010s) → mainstream internet culture
Examples
“I got redpilled on this band they're so good”
“I just discovered this band and now I'm obsessed”
“That podcast redpilled me on relationships”
“That podcast changed my beliefs about how dating/gender works (potentially concerning)”
Cringe Score
Your kid will cringe
By itself, this word is everywhere and usually harmless. It's just internet for 'I learned the real truth about X.' The concern kicks in when X is gender, women, or society. If X is skincare or Costco, you're fine.
Category
general
Peak
2022-06
Last Verified
2026-02-25
Sources
editorial