What Does "Malding" Mean?

PDF download Download Article
A closer look at the slang term made popular on Twitch
PDF download Download Article

Since 2019, “malding” has become a popular slang term in both the gaming and Twitch streaming communities. As a combination of the words “mad” and “bald,” “malding” refers to people getting really angry (usually over a minor thing). Read on to learn everything there is to know about this relatively new slang term, including where it came from and how to use it yourself.

Things You Should Know

  • “Malding” describes a person who’s feeling very angry. The term is a fusion of the words “mad” and “balding” (like being so mad you could pull your hair out).
  • Use “malding” to react to an angry or salty person (especially in a video game setting).
  • A user on Urban Dictionary first used the word “mald” in 2011, but the term “malding” was made popular by Swedish Twitch streamer Forsen and his viewers in 2019.
Section 1 of 4:

Malding Definition

PDF download Download Article
  1. A combo of the words “mad” and “balding,” “malding” refers to a person (often a gamer) who gets extremely heated and irritated about something (to the point where they could metaphorically lose their hair/pull out their hair/go bald). Often, the thing they’re angry about isn’t a very big deal.
    • “Malding” is typically used online. For instance, if you search “malding” on YouTube, you’ll often see highlights or clips of popular VTubers (virtual YouTubers) and streamers (like xQc, HasanAbi, etc.).
    • Did You Know? Although this term is used hyperbolically, there is a bit of truth to it. High stress (like extreme anger) can contribute to hair loss in some circumstances, like trichotillomania (pulling one’s hair out) or telogen effluvium (where stress causes hair to fall out in a matter of months). [1]
    2. Advertisement
Section 2 of 4:

How to Use Malding

PDF download Download Article
  1. “Malding” was born on the internet, so it makes the most sense to use it in a digital context. Feel free to use “malding” to call out an especially salty player in a multiplayer game (like League of Legends, Call of Duty, Fortnite, Apex Legends, etc.). You can also use the term to describe someone who got really angry and heated over something minor, like a VTuber or Twitch streamer you follow.
    • “Did you catch his stream last night? Dude was malding LOL”
    • “AHAHAHAHA I can’t believe you just stole Glenn’s pentakill… he must be malding right now”
    • “This person has reached record levels of malding 😆”
Section 3 of 4:

Malding Origins

PDF download Download Article
  1. Back in 2011, user Yozaru introduced the word “mald” as a combination of “mad” and “bald” on the slang dictionary site Urban Dictionary. However, in his definition, Yozaru presented “mald” as a way to describe someone who was irritated about their baldness or both mad and lacking hair, rather than the definition we know today.
  2. In 2019, Swedish Twitch streamer Forsen researched the term “mald” on Urban Dictionary at the persistence of his chat (stream viewers). Forsen’s viewers would also frequently send messages like “so mad, so bad” to the chat while Forsen was streaming, with the catchphrase morphing into “so bald, so mad” and “so bald, so mald.” After this, Forsen’s chat started using “mald” independently from the original phrase. [2]
    • Around the same time in 2019, a Redditor tried to get enough traffic/upvotes on a goofy picture of Forsen with the ultimate goal of associating the “mald” keyword with the photo (so the pic would show up if you Google Image search “mald”). (Note: As of 2024, pictures of aircraft show up when you search “mald” in Google Images.)
    • Since then, “malding” has become a common term used in different corners of Twitch (and the internet, by extension). In fact, well-known Twitch streamer Hasan Piker co-hosts a satirical podcast with Will Neff that’s called “Fear and Malding.”
    3. Advertisement
Section 4 of 4:

Similar Slang

PDF download Download Article
  1. The name of a popular Twitch emote that resembles a man with an enthusiastic/surprised expression. The emote, as well as the phrases “pog” or “poggers,” simply means that something is very cool or epic.
  2. In a certain scene of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare , the player has to press the F button to “pay respects” during a funeral scene. Since then, the term “press F” has become a cheeky response to playfully inconvenient situations (often in a gaming or streaming context). [3]
  3. “Jebaited” is a term used by gamers who were tricked or otherwise bamboozled (often in a gaming context). The term is best known as an emote of prominent gaming figure Alex Jebailey looking up at something. [4]
    4. Advertisement


Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      You Might Also Like

      What Does "Sigma" Mean on TikTok?
      Everything You Need to Know About Skibidi & Skibidi Toilet
      What Does "Bop" Mean in Slang & Why Is It Problematic for Girls?
      What Does the Slang Term “FAFO” Mean? (Plus How to Use It)
      What Does "I'm Cooked" Mean? TikTok Slang, Explained
      What Zesty Really Means on TikTok
      What does "2 Man" Mean?
      What Is Glazing?
      Everything You Need to Know About the “My Roman Empire” TikTok Trend
      What is “Rizz” and How Do You Get It?
      What Is a "Body Count"?
      What Does GGG Mean?
      Your Ultimate Guide to Millennial Slang
      What Does "Unc Status" Mean?
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/expert-answers/stress-and-hair-loss/faq-20057820
      2. ↑ https://www.techshout.com/what-is-malding/
      3. ↑ https://afkgaming.com/esports/news/7093-the-meaning-of-press-f-to-pay-respects-and-its-origin
      4. ↑ https://7esl.com/jebaited/

      About This Article

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 15,214 times.

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement