What does pookie mean?

Pookie is an affectionate nickname — similar to ‘babe,’ ‘sweetie’ or ‘honey’ — used for a partner, close friend or pet. It almost always signals warmth and affection.

Where did pookie come from?

It’s been a term of endearment since the mid-1960s (and appears as Garfield’s teddy bear ‘Pooky’). Its recent viral revival came through TikTok couple videos around 2023.

Is pookie a bad word?

No — in its internet sense it’s a wholesome, positive nickname. It’s sometimes used jokingly to tease overly affectionate couples, but the tone is friendly.

Specimen 079 · Nomen affectionii · Field Notes

Pookie

Pookie is an affectionate nickname — a cutesy ‘babe,’ ‘sweetie’ or ‘honey’ — for a partner, close friend or even a pet. It’s decades old, was revived on TikTok around 2023, and is now one of the most-searched slang terms of the era.

Where pookie came from

Pookie has been a term of endearment since at least the mid-1960s, long before the internet. Pop culture kept it alive — most famously as the name of Garfield’s beloved teddy bear, “Pooky,” in the comic strip.

Its modern revival came through TikTok around 2023, when a stylish couple’s “outfit” videos — addressing each other as “pookie” — went viral and spawned endless recreations. One study of Google search data later found “pookie” to be the single most-searched-for Gen Z slang term.

What it means and how it's used

At its core it’s simply warm and wholesome — you call someone pookie because you adore them. It’s used for partners, best friends, family and pets alike. Online it’s also used affectionately-sarcastically, gently poking fun at over-the-top couples (“look at these two pookies”).

Sources

Merriam-Webster (slang, “pookie”) · Planoly glossary · Bark parents’ guide · Nexstar/WSYR (most-searched slang study). Replace with live links at launch.