snowflake
snowflake Lexical Profile
snowflake Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A single feathery ice crystal or an aggregation of ice crystals that falls through the Earth's atmosphere as snow.
"The children laughed and stuck their tongues out to catch the falling snowflakes."
A person perceived as being overly sensitive, easily offended, or possessing an unwarranted sense of entitlement and unique specialness.
"The comedian complained that modern audiences were full of snowflakes who couldn't handle controversial jokes."
Word Nuance & Usage
While originally just a meteorological term, 'snowflake' has developed a highly charged, derogatory slang connotation in modern political and cultural discourse to describe someone perceived as overly sensitive or easily offended.
Word Origin & Etymology
A compound of 'snow' and 'flake', originating in English in the early 18th century. The slang usage denoting fragility or an inflated sense of uniqueness gained widespread popularity in the 2010s, inspired by the scientific adage that no two snowflakes are exactly alike.