poolrooms
/ˈpuːl.ruːmz/
UncommonA liminal space aesthetic of empty indoor swimming pools and tiled, water-filled rooms with no one in them.
Has a calmer, more melancholic energy than the backrooms. Where the backrooms is dread, the poolrooms is more dissociation and quiet sadness.
Real-world examples3 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | found an abandoned hotel pool at 4am and it was the most poolrooms thing i have ever seen in real life. | The real location perfectly matched the aesthetic. | x, 2023 |
| 02 | the poolrooms hits different than the backrooms. less scary, more just... sad? like you are supposed to be somewhere. | Articulating the emotional difference between the two aesthetics. | reddit, 2023 |
| 03 | that lighting. water reflections on the ceiling. tiles. this is poolrooms and i need to leave. | Reacting to a photo that captures the core visual elements. | instagram, 2022 |
Use it when
- Describing or sharing photos of empty indoor pools with that particular unsettling quality.
- Referencing the specific poolrooms mythology as a backrooms level.
- A place feels like the poolrooms, even if there is no water.
Do not use it when
- You mean any swimming pool location.
- You mean any liminal or eerie space.Use “liminal space” instead.
Poolrooms vs backrooms
poolrooms
Poolrooms are defined by water, tile, and quiet melancholy.
VS
backrooms
Backrooms are defined by yellow carpet, fluorescent lights, and active dread.
Origin and context
Emerged from the backrooms mythology community as a distinct aesthetic variant, likely 2021-2022. The specific visual of water-lit tiles and empty pool rooms resonated as a separate, calmer liminal archetype.
- First seen
- 2021
- Confidence
- low
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/poolroomsUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0