Big Back Meaning: What It's Used For and Its Origins
Big Back Meaning: What It's Used For and Its Origins
The term big back has been used all over TikTok to describe people who are overweight or who eat a lot. It is a term used to refer to fat people or activities that are considered fat. As with many TikTok terms, it originated in the Black community and has been used all across the internet as it’s increased in popularity. We know Gen Z slang can be a little confusing at times, so we’ve put together this article to help you understand the meaning of big back, signs that you may be big back, its problematic use and everything else you need to know.
What does big back mean?

Big Back Meaning

Big back refers to someone who is overweight or eats a lot. People call others big back in reference to the large backs of overweight people. You can use big back as a verb or a noun. As a verb, it refers to big back activities, which include constant overeating, an insatiable appetite, and unhealthy eating. As a noun, big back refers to someone who is overweight or has a consistent pattern of overeating or eating unhealthy foods. TikTok bodybuilders use the term to describe anything that doesn’t line up with their fitness goals.

Big back also refers to a large butt. It is a British slang term. Though this meaning is often used in Britain, it has been used worldwide due to Sir Mix-A-Lot’s song “Baby Got Back.” Using back to refer to someone’s butt may seem a bit dated due to the modern definition, but it is still a common phrase among those who were around in the 1990s.

How To Use Big Back

Use the term big back when you feel like you've ate too much. The term is used on TikTok when people feel like they have eaten too much or want to describe the situations where they’ve had too much food or acted in a way that was gluttonous. You can also use the term in real life to describe moments where you feel fat or overweight. Use big back activity to describe specific activities that make you feel fat. Big back isn’t inherently negative. Users on TikTok use the term lovingly when referring to weight they’ve gained over the course of eating with their partner. To use the term this way, say something like “When we eat dinner and get to be big backs together.” When you are talking about a time where you ate too much food in one sitting, use big back. For example, when talking about a holiday meal, you can say “I ate way too much at dinner, I feel like a big back.” You can also say “How I ate at dinner was definitely big back activity.”

The term has also been used to make fat people the butt of the joke. This meaning is fatphobic, as it sets fat people apart from everyone else and treats them as less than. As the term has become a meme, people have used big back to make jokes aimed at fat people. On TikTok, some users have said things like “POV: you thought there was an earthquake but it’s just your big backed gf coming home from chipotle” and “When I thought I seen a gorilla running towards me but it was just my big back friend.” Although people say these things as jokes, they can still have a harmful effect on people who are heavy-set. Big back jokes can cause self-esteem issues and make people feel singled out for their weight.

Where Big Back Came From

The term big back comes from African American Vernacular English (AAVE). Black people have used the term to describe someone who is overweight or overeats. Although it has been used playfully, it can be used as an insult when attacking someone’s weight. The use of back to refer to someone’s butt was popularized by the rapper, Sir Mix-A-Lot, with his 1992 hit “Baby Got Back.” In the song, Sir Mix-A-Lot aims to empower women by rapping about how he likes big butts. He says “baby got back” when referring to a woman with a big butt.

The use of big back on TikTok started in early 2024 with the viral big back activities trend. Users would post photos of their meals and caption them “big back activities.” As the trend got popular, users would often pair the post with YouTuber thecincomedy’s Big Back Parody song, which is a parody of the Backpack song from the popular cartoon, Dora The Explorer. The song replaces the use of the word backpack with big back and talks about how the singer’s back is “loaded up with snacks and different foods.” This trend resulted in the word big back being used as a general term by members of Gen Z to describe greedy, gluttonous moments.

Signs That You’re Big Back

Users on TikTok often hurl big back at someone who they think is overweight or overeats. They may call you big back or say you have big back behavior if they come across a video of you eating a hefty meal. Here are some ways you may be practicing big back behavior, as described by TikTokers: You get multiple plates at a family gathering. You ask someone “are you going to eat the rest of your food?” You eat chicken wings while driving. You have all of the major fast food apps downloaded on your phone. You can tell what your friend is eating based on the sound of the package. You crack or break a lawn chair when you sit down. You eat large plates of food in your car.

Related Terms

Fanum Tax Fanum Tax means to steal food from your friend, which can be considered big back activity. The term originated from the social media personality, Fanum, who is known for stealing food from his friends under the guise of a “Fanum tax.” Fanum tax is a brainrot term that is often used by people who are chronically online.

Bop This is a popular TikTok term that is used to describe promiscuous women. Bop is often considered a derogatory term, as it paints sexually active women in a negative light. Whereas big back can be used to negatively describe overweight people, bop can be used to slut-shame women. The term is also used to describe a type of dance that is lively and full of rhythm.

Unc Unc is a term used to describe older men. The term is short for uncle and was originally used to only refer to an uncle. But, like big back, the term has evolved to refer to any man who is older or acts like an old man. Someone may call you unc if you don’t understand a pop culture reference or have an opinion that doesn’t align with what the youth thinks.

Zesty The term zesty is used on TikTok to describe someone who is acting feminine. Some people consider it problematic, as it is used as a derogatory term towards guys who act stereotypically feminine. People also use it to make gay people or men who are feminine the butt of the joke, making it a homophobic term. It is similar to big back since they are both used to negatively describe a certain group of people.

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