CLOUTRAGE

What Does Cloutrage Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

Cloutrage means "Generating Online Influence Through Outrage."

More Observations...

The term "cloutrage" is a portmanteau of the words "clout" (with the meaning "influence") and "outrage" (i.e., "strong reaction of shock, indignation, or anger"). It refers to the practice of influencers attracting likes, clicks and followers by saying or doing controversial or outrageous things online. "Cloutrage" was popularized by British author Symeon Brown in his book, Get Rich Or Lie Trying: Ambition and Deceit in the New Influencer Economy, first published in 2022.

Image for Cloutrage

When I write Cloutrage, I mean this:

"Cloutrage" is saying or doing controversial or outrageous things online.

Summary of Key Points

"Generating Online Influence Through Outrage" is, by far, the most common meaning for Cloutrage when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)

Cloutrage
Definition:	Generating Online Influence Through Outrage
Type:	Word
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

An Academic Look at Cloutrage

As it is formed by merging two words into one, cloutrage is a portmanteau word. It is a combination of the words clout (as in "influence") and outrage (as in "strong reaction of shock, indignation, or anger"). Cloutrage can also be considered a neologism. A neologism is a newly coined word or phrase that has recently come into use or has been created to describe a new concept, idea, or phenomenon. Neologisms can be created in any language and can take different forms, such as:

A new meaning for an existing word (e.g., cloud, mood, sick, tweet, viral).
A completely new word (e.g., fomo, selfie, emoji).
A new combination of existing words, or words with prefixes or suffixes (e.g., cloutrage, digital detox, situationship, oversharing, antifragile).

Neologisms are often the result of changes in technology, culture, or social norms, and they can be found in fields such as science, technology, politics, and popular culture. Some neologisms become widely used and enter mainstream vocabulary, while others remain obscure or limited to specific communities or contexts.