What does ‘delulu’ mean, and why is everyone saying it?

K-pop stans are a massively influential online conglomerate, and their impact is once again being felt.

TikTokers are starting to use the word “delulu” instead of delusional, which stems directly from the K-pop community. The phrase started as a way to mock fans convinced they’d be the lucky ones to date or befriend their favorite K-pop star.

Currently, #delulu has over 113 million views on TikTok, with several videos unrelated to K-pop. For a while, only K-pop fans used this word regularly, but now it has become a part of mainstream internet lexicon, with users applying it to everyday life.

The word’s transition from a niche phrase to a general slang term has confused a few people.

“the term ‘delulu’ becoming normalized outside the kpop community is so silly bc wdym ‘I was delulu’ and ur talking abt a fella from ur hometown,” wrote @odd.of.course in a post.

Other people in the comments also had thoughts about the word’s emergence.

“Delulu is such a silly word to me like why can’t we [just] say delusional delulu sounds so funny,” said @snsdrs.

Not only has delulu become a prominent phrase for the general public, but some people are finding ways to make it a core part of their personality as they enter their delulu era.