Definition
Describing someone who spends an excessive amount of time on the internet and social media to the point where internet culture, memes, and online humor dominate their worldview, vocabulary, and real-world behavior. They reference obscure internet jokes and trends constantly.
Example Usage
My brother is so terminally online that he tried to use TikTok slang at Thanksgiving dinner.
Origin
Emerged in the mid-2010s as internet usage became increasingly normalized and pervasive among younger generations.
Fun Fact
The term is often used self-deprecatingly by people aware of their own heavy internet consumption.
Source: Definition backfill (hailey)
Related Terms
Translate This Term
See “terminally online” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.
Try the Translator