Bling: When Sparkle Became a Sound
Summary: Onomatopoeia for shine—bling named the look and the lifestyle.
In this post:
- What “bling” means and where it came from
- How people used it in the 1990s
- Modern equivalents and pop-culture examples
- Related slang to explore next
What does “bling” mean?
“Bling” meant flashy jewelry and luxury accessories; the sound of sparkle became a brand.
How it was used in the 1990s
“That chain’s got bling,” soon shortened to simply “bling.”
Modern equivalents
• iced out
• flashy
• drip