The power—and problem—of ‘girl words’ in 2025

This year’s Women’s History Month in the US feels a little weightier than usual. 

After decades of slow, steady progress, 2024 saw the US gender pay gap widen for the first time in 20 years. Meanwhile, tech, social media and governments are increasingly shaped by a small, male-dominated power circle. Some of their actions are enabling conversations in ways that challenge DEI practices, raise concerns about inclusivity and alienate women from boardrooms and platforms. In fact, online use of female-objectifying language grew 8% worldwide from February 2024 to February 2025.

But while systemic setbacks persist, women aren’t just pushing back in courtrooms, boardrooms and on picket lines. In 2025, the reclamation of identity and representation is unfolding on a new battleground: Social media. 

Enter the era of “girl words.”

TikTok’s transformation of femininity

“Girl words” gained traction in mid-2024 as feminised trends including girl boss, girl dinner, girl math, and lazy girl flooded newsfeeds. Their popularity is innately tied to social connection. Shilpa Madan, assistant professor of marketing at Singapore Management University, told the BBC that “a ‘girl’ thing creates an immediate sense of relatability, fostering a feeling of community and shared sisterhood."

Their spread is also linked to females’ leadership of linguistic change. Women are faster than men at learning and using new words, and are the biggest posters on Meta platforms, helping to propel female-centric language into the mainstream.

Today, “girl words” dominate digital discourse far more than terms like “broligarchy.” “Girl boss” counts 1.8 times more mentions, “girl dinner” two times more, and “girl math” three times more. Search for associated videos and you'll find millions of female-positive posts that cover everything from what your life will look like when you unlock feminine energy, to moments of achievement when you “girl boss too hard.” 

But can brands jump on these trends to “girl boss” their way to success, too?

When playful turns problematic

Previously, marketers might have considered “girl words” as a straightforward route to connect with consumers. But while some women see them as fun, empowering expressions, others argue they reinforce outdated stereotypes.

Take “girl math,” a trend where women find ways to ironically rationalise impulse spending through questionable mathematics. Popular examples include “anything under $5 is free” and “if something is on sale and you don’t buy it, you’re losing money.” Used carefully, “Girl math” can be a fun joke, without any equation to actual intelligence. However, any missteps risk perpetuating the cliche that women cannot manage their own finances. 

Some brands have already fallen into this trap. Just last year, Canadian Football League team Saskatchewan Roughriders were roundly condemned for an email advertising season tickets with “Proficient in girl math, it’s basically free.” And back in 2020, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority banned a London Underground advert featuring the phrase "You do the girl boss thing" for reinforcing harmful stereotypes. If brands want to leverage these ideas, they must tread very carefully.

A smarter approach to trend-based marketing

"Girl words," while popular, are complex and require a critical lens. And it’s important to remember that they aren’t even necessarily exclusive to women. Anyone can engage in "girl math," embrace a "girl boss" mindset, or eat a "girl dinner." In fact, data from Global Web Index finds that 53% of men and 54% of women in the UK and US don’t actively describe themselves as “good at managing money”—making men as likely to use “girl math” as anyone.

Meanwhile, it's important to note that these "girl words" only work because women are builders of community. As we've explored, they pick up new language faster than men (even in male-dominated spaces such as gaming) and post more often on social media. 

Brands, therefore, need to understand that women can feel alienated due to the "broligarchy" and the corresponding rise in hate speech. They need to help them feel accepted in social spaces, not just because it's the moral course of action but because women are crucial to building the trends that help businesses to stay relevant and competitive. As a result, they need to consider how to leverage the awesome power of women to build their social campaigns.

Above all, brands should be cautious about painting "girl words" as inherently female. They must move beyond surface-level adoption and assumptions about gender, and instead focus on inclusivity and understanding the broader appeal. Social strategies must be guided by an understanding of societal shifts and data-driven insights, ensuring campaigns resonate with a wide audience and encourage the right conversations. 

Ultimately, the equation is clear: Acting with authenticity and participating with purpose = long-term customer engagement. And you don’t need “girl math” to work that out.

Victoria Hoyle is the head of social intelligence at Social Element.