What does ‘gooner’ mean? Slang goes viral as confusion erupts online

The term ‘gooner’ has become popular slang on social media, but its meaning can be confusing as it varies depending on your location.

Thanks to Anne Hathaway, the terms ‘gooner’ and ‘gooning’ are going viral on social media. Although they’ve been around for some time, the phrases kicked off on April 24, 2024, after an X post from British news outlet The Guardian labeled the Hollywood star as a “secret Gooner.”

Comments under the post are full of American netizens confused as to what the term ‘gooner’ means in the United Kingdom — because it has a very specific connotation in the US.

Have no fear: we’re here to explain what the word ‘gooner’ means, and why its definition might change from place to place.

‘Gooning,’ ‘Gooner’ definitions explained

For the uninitiated, the word ‘gooning’ has a pretty naughty meaning in America (and in general online slang). 

We’ll spare you most of the details, but it generally refers to someone who enjoys a “prolonged edging session,” as explained in one of the first recorded definitions of the word from an Urban Dictionary user on February 10, 2012.

Over the ensuing twelve years, the word ‘gooning’ has picked up in popularity. Its definition, in particular, has become somewhat of a meme, as seen when YouTubers The Game Grumps couldn’t contain their laughter reading it aloud during a video in 2023.

Other major YouTubers like MoistCritikal have since picked up on the term, as well, who notably gathered a group of five ‘gooners’ together for a dating show in March 2024.

That’s not the only naughty meaning the word has. Other definitions claim the term also refers to someone who is “completely and miserably addicted to p*rn, but [who] embraces and loves it.”

However, the word ‘gooner’ doesn’t always mean something so carnal. In fact, it actually has a rather wholesome meaning across the pond, where football fans (soccer, for the Americans reading this) use it to describe someone who’s a fan of the Arsenal football club.

This term first gained traction thanks to the club’s nickname, the Gunners, which, over time, became Gooners. Now, when someone proudly says they’re a ‘Gooner,’ they’re likely referring to their favorite football team…but you might want to ask them to clarify, just in case.

Of course, the word ‘goon’ has other meanings, too. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the term can also refer to a “stupid person,” as well as “a man hired to terrorize or eliminate opponents.”

So, while ‘goon’ might have a few different definitions, the context of the situation and where you’re located might help to inform what someone means when they use it — although thanks to the internet, the phrase has taken on an entirely different meaning.