YOLO
Dead🦕AncientDefinition
You Only Live Once. The rallying cry of 2012 that launched a thousand bad decisions. Popularized by Drake. Used to justify anything from skydiving to eating a second dessert.
Translation for Parents
You know this one. You lived through this one. You might have even said this one. YOLO was the 'carpe diem' of the early 2010s, except it was used to justify eating Taco Bell at 2 AM instead of seizing meaningful life moments.
Examples
“YOLO I'm gonna eat the whole cake”
“You only live once, I'm going to eat the entire cake”
“Remember when people said YOLO unironically?”
“Remember when 'you only live once' was a serious motivational phrase?”
Cringe Score
Please don't
Saying YOLO in 2026 is like showing up to a party in a zoot suit. People will know what it means. They will judge you. Drake has moved on. So should you.
Category
general
Peak
2012-06
Last Verified
2026-02-25
Sources
editorial