clout-chasing
/klaʊt tʃeɪ.sɪŋ/
Very CommonDoing or saying something primarily to gain attention, followers, or social media status.
Almost always used negatively, as a criticism. Even when someone's content is genuinely good, accusing them of clout-chasing suggests the motivation was social capital, not authenticity.
Real-world examples3 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | he tweeted that take just to get quote-tweeted by someone with a bigger following. classic clout-chasing | The tweet was engineered to attract attention from a larger account, not to express a real opinion. | x, 2023 |
| 02 | this small creator just called out charli and bella with nothing to say. pure clout-chasing | A small account picked a fight with big creators as a growth strategy, not from genuine grievance. | tiktok, 2024 |
| 03 | brand dropped a statement on a topic they've never mentioned once. clout-chasing off the news cycle | A brand is opportunistically inserting itself into a social moment for marketing purposes. | x, 2022 |
Use it when
- Someone is picking a fight with a bigger account specifically for exposure.
- A creator inserts themselves into drama they have no real stake in.
- Someone's actions are obviously designed to generate attention rather than express genuine opinion.
- A brand or public figure influences unrelated trending content for visibility.
Do not use it when
- Someone simply wants to grow their audience through good content.
- Someone is speaking up on a topic they genuinely care about.
Variations and related forms
Origin and context
Built from 'clout', which in Black American vernacular means power, reputation, or influence. Clout-chasing emerged in hip-hop and social media culture as a label for calculated attention-seeking behavior. Became mainstream internet slang by 2018.
- First seen
- 2017-2018
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/clout-chasingUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0