Guap
A lot of money.
- Origin: Black and hip-hop slang; in rap lyrics from 2004, per Green’s
- On the Slang-o-matic wheel: Millennials (born 1981–1996). That is who the translator files it under, not a claim that this generation coined it.
What it means
Guap means money, usually a lot of it. Green’s Dictionary of Slang defines it as “(a large amount of) money,” and Dictionary.com calls it slang for “a lot of money” and says it is “an unspecified amount.” Dictionary.com lists the spellings “guap or gwap or gwop.”
Where it comes from
The cited dictionaries treat its origin as uncertain; Dictionary.com says its “exact origins aren’t certain.” Dictionary.com and Green’s both suggest the Spanish guapo or guapa, meaning handsome or pretty, as in “a pretty penny.” Dictionary.com also mentions a theory that gwop stands for George Washington On Paper.
Green’s earliest listed citation is a 2004 Nelly song. Dictionary.com says Big Sean’s 2012 single “Guap” then popularized it.
Who says it now
The translator files guap under Millennials, many of whom were in their teens or twenties when those songs came out. Dictionary.com describes it as Black and hip-hop slang that is sometimes used in mainstream talk. In our observation it is most common among teens and young adults.
Tone
Boastful and casual. It often comes up when someone is bragging about money or wishing for more. From an adult or a brand trying to sound young, it can come across as forced.
What adults hear, what kids mean
An older listener may not recognize the word at all, or may hear it as nonsense. A teenager talking about “getting guap” from a summer job is talking about earning money, which is something most parents are glad to hear.
How to use it
Guap is a mass noun, like money: “getting guap,” “stacking guap,” “that’s a lot of guap.” Dictionary.com notes it is usually used that way rather than as “a guap.”
Two examples, written by us:
- She has been babysitting every weekend and is finally making some guap.
- That sneaker resale was a lot of guap for one pair of shoes.
How to answer it
If a kid says they want to make guap, they mean money, so treat it as a money conversation: ask what they are saving for or how they plan to earn it.
Same idea, other generations
The Slang-o-matic wheel files Guap under Millennials for the idea of money. These are the words it files under the same idea, by generation. They are related, not always exact translations:
Related slang
- Benjamins (Gen X): Hundred-dollar bills; by extension, money.
- Bestie (Millennials): Your best friend.
- Fire (Gen Z): Excellent, amazing.
Try the slang translatorAll slang by generation
Sources
Meanings and dates on this page come from these dictionaries. Each quote is copied word for word from the linked page.
- Green's Dictionary of Slang
“(US black) (a large amount of) money.”
“? Sp. guapo / guapa, attractive, thus play on 'a pretty penny'”
“2004 Nelly 'Grand Hang Out'”
- Dictionary.com Slang Dictionary
“Guap is slang for a lot of money—cash money.”
“guap is an unspecified amount”
“guap or gwap or gwop”
“While its exact origins aren't certain”
“the term guap may be shortened from the Spanish guapo or guapa”
“Guap is black and hip-hop slang”
“It's usually used as a mass noun (e.g., some guap) as opposed to a count noun”
“Another theory suggests gwop, an acronym for George Washington On Paper.”
“Guap was popularized by rapper Big Sean, whose 2012 single "Guap" charted for 12 weeks.”
“guap is sometimes used in mainstream slang”