Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US teen) to leave, the back down.

1987

Arizona Dly Star (Tucson, AZ) Youth Beat 26 Dec. 8/3: Flex: To leave, to beat a retreat.

2. (US prison) to get emotionally prepared for a (gang) fight.

1992		Bentley & Corbett Prison Sl. 90: Flex To become bristled and ready to fight.
1993		Ice Cube ‘It Was a Good Day’ 🎵 Saw the police and they rolled right past me / No flexin, didn’t even look in a niggaz direction.

3. (US black) to make others aware of one’s potential for violence and willingness to use it; thus on the flex, acting in an excessively macho manner in the hope of impressing onlookers.

1999		Dr Dre ‘Big Ego’s’ 🎵 Crash and flex on Tuesday’s, harassin hoes at movies / Passin by with uzis – and who you aimin at?
2000		Ebonics Primer at www.dolemite.com 🌐 flexing Definition: to talk smack in someone’s face Example: Bitch, you be flexin’ up in my grill.
2012		Chief Keef ‘Got Them Bands’ 🎵 My daughter's heaven sent / She rock Gucci Louie shit / She be flexin' like a bitch / She know papa got that cash.

4. (US black) trans. and intrans., to show off; to display.

1991		De La Soul ‘Afro Connections’ 🎵 I flex more strength when I'm asleep.
2001		(con. 1981) A. Wheatle East of Acre Lane 182: I wouldn’t flex my temper inna your direction.
2006		G. Malkani Londonstani (2007) 15: Stick it [i.e. a mobile] in your bag or sumfink so you can’t even flex it on your desk.
2016		Young M.A. ‘Eat’ 🎵 Yeah, flexing and stunting, doing what ballers do.
2023		Sydney Morn. Herald 18 Nov. 🌐 Flex is to show off or boast.
2024		C. Stella Joey Piss Pot 229: ‘He’ll puff his chest out and probably flex, maybe even pose, before he throws a punch’.

5. (UK black) to go well, to work out.

1997

C. Newland Scholar 219: Only time would tell if things would stay that way, but for now, Sean felt everything seemed to be flexing neatly.

6. (US teen) to hit; to intimidate or disparage someone.

2002		Teen Lingo: The Source for Youth Ministry 🌐 flex To beat someone up or use physical force to hurt them. Usually said in a joking matter. ‘I’m going to Flex you!’ As if to say, ‘I’m going to beat you up!’.
2007		W.J. Cobb To the Break of Dawn 3: ‘Them Brooklyn cats had it in for the brothers from uptown; Bronx heads were constantly flexing on Brooklynites and nobody was feeling Queens’.

7. (UK black) to scratch records, i.e. to move the record backwards and forwards so the needle scratches across the record, thus repeating or distorting a chosen section [in this case it is the wrist that is flexed].

2003

UKFlex.com 🌐 When we are Flexin’: When we are out and about, we like to keep you informed, not only when any of the crew are DJing, but we’ll try and let you know when we are out doing a review.

8. (US black) to rap well.

1996		Westside Connection ‘All The Critics in New York’ 🎵 Because we’re platinum when we flex this / With mic in hand fans in the stands.
2001		Outkast ‘Crumblin’ Erb’ 🎵 Nigga, so ring around the roses / diamonds around my neck from flexin.

9. (UK black) to talk to; to chat up.

2015		67 ‘Live Corn’ 🎵 I was in the party flexing with a yat.
2018		Unknown T ‘Mad about Bars’ 🎵 Man flex on a bae like ‘What?’.