code review comment
/koʊd rɪˈvjuː ˈkɒmɛnt/
CommonFeedback left on a pull request, ranging from minor style notes to blocking concerns about logic or security.
The tone and intent behind a comment matters as much as the content. The same issue can be filed as a kind question or an aggressive demand, and engineers have strong opinions about review culture.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | woke up to 40 code review comments. gonna need coffee. | Overwhelmed by the volume of feedback waiting after a PR was reviewed overnight. | x, 2023 |
| 02 | my code review comments are 80% nits but i still feel attacked | Even knowing the feedback is minor, receiving a lot of it feels personal. | reddit, 2024 |
| 03 | good code review comments say why, not just what to change | Good feedback explains reasoning, not just the desired outcome. | x, 2022 |
| 04 | left one code review comment and now we're in a 3-day thread about it | A single review note escalated into a prolonged debate. | reddit, 2023 |
Use it when
- Referring to feedback left inline on a PR.
- Talking about the number or nature of review notes received.
- Discussing review culture or how feedback is given.
Do not use it when
- You mean a general comment in code like a code comment.Use “code comment” instead.
- You mean the overall review verdict, not inline feedback.Use “code review” instead.
Variations and related forms
Origin and context
Code review as a practice predates GitHub, but inline commenting on pull requests became standard workflow with platforms like GitHub and Gerrit in the 2010s.
- First seen
- 2010s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/code-review-commentUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0