noun Pop Culture

Maknae

/ˈmæk.neɪ/ · noun · informal

The youngest member of a K-pop group — often the spoiled, hyped baby of the team.

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Definitions

1

The youngest member of a group, from the Korean word for the youngest in any group or family.

“As the maknae, he gets babied by everyone.”
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2

Used generally for the youngest person in any friend group or workplace.

“I'm the maknae at the office so I always make the coffee.”
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3

A role with its own personality archetype in K-pop — sometimes shy, sometimes a 'mischievous maknae' who runs the group.

“Don't let the maknae fool you, she bosses the unnies around.”
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Maknae In A Sentence

the maknae acting older than the leader is my favorite trope
protect the maknae at all costs challenge
calling the new intern our maknae now, sorry not sorry

Origin & Usage

From Korean 막내 (maknae), meaning the youngest member of a group or family; adopted wholesale by international K-pop fans.

People Also Ask

What does maknae mean?

It's Korean for the youngest member of a group, and in K-pop it refers to the youngest idol in a band.

What is a golden maknae?

A maknae who's good at basically everything — singing, dancing, sports, you name it. BTS's Jungkook popularized the term.

What does maknae mean in slang?

Beyond K-pop, people call the youngest in any group their 'maknae,' usually the one who gets babied or stuck with the chores.

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