- This term started to become used frequently after several videos of middle aged women mistreating restaurant employees started trending. The name of one of the women in the videos was Karen. The name has become widely used and can be used to refer to anyone who is behaving excessively rude or entitled, not just middle aged women.
karen
other word formation type Noun
A negative term used to refer to someone acting entitled or demanding something that is far beyond what is reasonable in the given context.
Etymology : New meaning for the name Karen. Derived from trending videos of old women mistreating employees at libraries and restaurants.
Source : “That woman told me to call the CEO even though I’m just a barista. What a karen.” (Friend, 10/20/20).
Last modified: 26 November 2020