Adjective | Youth Insult / Appearance & Quality Judgment
Encyclopedia of British Slang
CLAPPED
Adjective | Moderate to Strong | Youth Insult / Appearance & Quality Judgment
CLAPPED Pronunciation: /klpt/ Part of Speech: Adjective Severity Level: Moderate to Strong Category: Youth Insult / Appearance & Quality Judgment
Core Definition
Clapped describes something or someone considered unattractive, damaged, low quality, or socially undesirable.
It can apply to:
Physical appearance
Clothing
Cars
Houses
Digital content
Behaviour
It implies deterioration or poor condition.
Linguistic Development
Originally, clapped out described machinery that was worn out.
Over time, youth speech shortened it to clapped.
The term gained momentum in the 2010s through social media, UK drill music, and online meme culture.
It now carries stronger aesthetic judgment than older equivalents like minging.
Usage Contexts
Appearance:
That trims clapped.
Vehicles:
That cars clapped.
The flats clapped.
It implies beyond repair.
Tone Variations
Playful:
You look clapped today.
Harsh:
Thats fully clapped.
Mocking:
Clapped behaviour.
Tone can escalate severity quickly.
Behavioural Profile
Calling someone clapped usually targets:
Fashion choices
Grooming
Physical condition
Presentation
Unlike prat, it focuses on visible state rather than action.
Comparison with Related Terms
Minging disgusting
Rank foul
Dead bad or boring
Clapped worn-out and unattractive
Clapped feels harsher and more final than minging.
Cultural Roots
Strongly tied to urban youth speech, particularly in London and Birmingham.
Amplified by UK drill and rap scenes.
Rapidly adopted in online youth communities.
Psychological Function
Clapped enforces aesthetic standards.
It signals social hierarchy based on appearance and quality.
It can be cutting because it targets surface image.
Gender Usage
Used toward both men and women.
However, when applied to physical appearance, it can carry significant social sting.
Often appears in peer-group teasing contexts.
Digital Culture Impact
Clapped thrives on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Its brevity suits meme culture.
It aligns with fast, visual judgment.
Linguistic Structure
Single syllable.
Hard consonant opening.
Abrupt ending.
Feels blunt and dismissive.
Case Study 1: Fashion Friend wears outdated trainers.
Comment:
Those are clapped.
Meaning: Outdated. Embarrassing.
Case Study 2: Property Student accommodation falling apart.
Response:
This place is clapped.
Signals neglect.
Modern Usage Trends
Highly active among Gen Z and younger millennials.
Less common among older speakers.
May evolve or shift meaning as slang cycles change.
Cultural Insight
Clapped reflects social media-era aesthetics.
Image is currency.
Appearance is constantly evaluated.
The word captures instant visual dismissal.
It is harsher than older British slang.
More digitally sharpened.
Final Assessment
Clapped is:
Youth-driven
Appearance-focused
Moderately severe
Social media amplified
Fast-moving
It signals decay and social downgrade.
Blunt.
Unforgiving.
Very modern.
CALM (urban approval evolution)
RANK (sensory disgust & regional strength)
PEAK (youth emotional shorthand)
Your encyclopedia continues to expand into contemporary linguistic anthropology.
Excellent. We now expand a word that reveals how modern urban British speech has simplified approval into minimalist calmness.
EXPANDED ENTRY 26
Alan Nafzger was born in Lubbock, Texas, the son Swiss immigrants. He grew up on a dairy in Windthorst, north central Texas. He earned degrees from Midwestern State University (B.A. 1985) and Texas State University (M.A. 1987). University College Dublin (Ph.D. 1991). Dr. Nafzger has entertained and educated young people in Texas colleges for 37 years. Nafzger is best known for his dark novels and experimental screenwriting. His best know scripts to date are Lenin’s Body, produced in Russia by A-Media and Sea and Sky produced in The Philippines in the Tagalog language. In 1986, Nafzger wrote the iconic feminist western novel, Gina of Quitaque. Contact: editor@prat.uk
