Back to blog What does Gigachad mean?
A “gigachad” is an internet slang term and meme that emerged in the late 2010s. It refers to a hypothetical ultra-masculine, extremely attractive, and successful male figure - essentially an exaggerated ideal of male perfection. The term combines:
- “Giga” (meaning billion or very large)
- “Chad” (internet slang for an attractive, confident, successful man)
The term is often associated with images of model Ernest Khalimov (it is debated whether he is a real person or not), whose heavily edited photos became the face of the “gigachad” meme. These images typically show an extremely muscular man with an exaggerated square jaw and intense facial features.
The term is usually used:
- Ironically or humorously to describe someone doing something impressive or admirable
- To make light of unrealistic male beauty standards
- As a form of playful praise, like “what a gigachad move”
The meme has evolved to sometimes represent any admirable or impressive behavior, regardless of gender or appearance, though it started specifically as a male archetype.
