Fold: Does The Word Have A Hidden Meaning On TikTok?

Historians say the English language has existed, in one form or another, for nearly 1,500 years. Over a time period that long, it’s natural for words to take on several formal, colloquial, and slang meanings.

“Fold” is a good example, since the authoritative Merriam-Webster dictionary has more than a dozen definitions for the word. It can be used in contexts like folding a piece of paper or folding an ingredient into a recipe, folding a business or folding a hand in poker, or describing a group of like-minded people. A flock of sheep is called a fold, as is the pen that they’re kept in.

When the word “fold” is used in TikTok posts, it might have any of those meanings. More often, however, TikTok users have other things in mind when they use the word.

What Does Fold Mean on TikTok?

“Fold” is usually used as slang on the social media platform.

At times, you’ll see TikTok content in which users say they “folded” when they’ve fallen hard for someone, or when they’ve given up and gone back to their ex after having left them (the latter usage is somewhat similar to “folding’ in a poker game or an argument). It also might be a veiled drug reference, since some people call a homemade envelope that holds cocaine a “fold.”

In most cases, however, “fold” represents the feelings of a content creator when they think they’re being disrespected, when they’re surprised, or when they’re pissed off by a comment or other situation.

You might see or hear the word used in posts, but you’re more likely to see a visual depiction in a TikTok video. Beginning in 2021, posters began showing their annoyed reactions by shooting a clip showing themselves bending at the waist over a chair, with their arms swinging over their heads. The action is intended to represent them “folding” over their bodies.

If you think that sounds silly, you may be right, but that hasn’t prevented a related TikTok challenge from going viral; the #FoldChallenge attracted more than 50 million views in its first six months. It’s not as popular today as it was in the early 2020s, but you’ll still regularly see users showing annoyed reactions to a comment or scenario by “folding” themselves in a video.

Aren’t you glad you asked?