a year agoThe slang meaning of aura stems from the word’s sense meaning “a distinctive atmosphere or quality someone or something is felt to emanate”—that is, the energy or ‘vibe’ given off. It spread online in the early 2020s, especially in reference to athletes exhibiting prowess in their sport. In summer 2024, aura went viral on social media, especially TikTok, often in connection to a video trend in which people playfully quantified how many so-called aura points someone gained or lost relative to variously smooth or awkward social scenarios.
