WHAT IS CLOUT? EVERYTHING YOU SHOULD KNOW

English is an amazing language. It has millions of words and while you are reading this, one word amongst these is gaining massive exposure – “Clout”.

The word ‘clout’ has been in use so aggressively these days that there are over 2 Million posts on Instagram tagged #Clout, whilst the hashtag crossed the 4 billion views mark on TikTok. And how can we forget the wildly popular 2019 Billboard charting track Clout by Cardi B and Offset, which amassed over 375 million views on YouTube to date. All these factors and the normality of the word clout in the hip-hop industry, especially among rappers such as Wiz Khalifa, Ty Dolla $ign, Denzel Curry, Lil Yachty, 6ix9ine, and many other celebrities are bringing a lot more attention to the word than ever before.

But what is Clout after all? Why has it been on everyone’s tongue lately? Who introduced the word Clout?

Meaning Of Clout

Simply put, Clout is a modern-day slang term that means having an influence or power in any area of life, be it politics or business. It also means being popular and well-known. The word Clout entails a wide gamut of meanings depending on the context it is being used in but the foundational meaning does not change. 

Use of the word clout in a sentence: 

She got massive clout after her TikTok video went viral.

Everyone wants to be associated with that guy. He has clout.”

The definition of Clout by various dictionaries:

Something that stands out in the definitions given above is Twitter’s version of Clout. Users on the social media platform have given specific meaning to the word. If you retweet someone and fortunately your quoted tweet gets popular and notable bringing you more followers in return, then congratulations! You just had your Clout moment!

Merriam-Webster defines Clout as To hit forcefully. This seems to be a sharp contradiction from what we have been discussing. Isn’t Clout related to influence, popularity, power, and things of such sort? Let’s get into the origin of the word Clout.

History And Origin of Clout

Clout originated from the Proto-Germanic word “Klutaz” which meant Lump or Rag. Initially, Clout meant a lump of something or a patch of cloth put over a hole to mend i. Later on, it was also used to refer to Handkerchiefs or Sanitary napkins of women

14th Century

As we reached the 14th century, Clout’s meaning changed. It now meant ‘A strike or blow with the hand‘. This was a significant shift from the earlier meanings of the word. It revolved around the idea of ‘Clothing’ and ‘Lump sum’ but the 14th century witnessed a change.

Mid 20th Century

It was around 1946 that the meaning of Clout came to be associated with political power and influence in America. Mike Rokyo, the Daily News journalist was amongst the first few people to use the word in relation to Politics. Rokyo used Clout to describe the corruption and government’s state of affairs in Chicago.

Mike Rokyo can be considered the coiner of ‘Clout’ in the modern sense. In 1973, he wrote a piece titled “What Clout Is and Isn’t” According to Mike, Clout is used to bend the rules, not follow them. His column has several examples of how Clout is used in political offices. Such as:

•  “My tax bill this year is $1.50 … I got clout in the assessor’s office”

21st Century

Then came the age of social media. This is when the word Clout got its Clout. Everyone from influencers to musicians, mid-age adults to youngsters, and kids began to get familiar with the word. People started using Clout in day-to-day conversations. The meaning here was not associated with politics but ‘Popularity’. 

Anyone who was believed to be popular and influential was tagged with the term Clout. Influencers and celebrities are judged by how much clout/followers they have. Memes and social media posts had the word Clout in them, news publications increasingly began to use the word Clout in the headlines, and also a fair amount of songs are getting released with the inclusion of the word Clout, being one of the reasons Clout News was founded.

How To Pronounce Clout?

It’s straight-up simple. You pronounce Clout the way it is written. Both the US and British English versions of the word have the same pronunciation. 

It’s not Kloot. Not even Klewt. It’s just “K-L-A-U-T”. 

Synonyms And Antonyms

Here’s a list of synonyms and antonyms of Clout. Whenever someone uses the word Clout, he or she intends to imply any one of these synonyms.

What Is The Difference Between Clout And Fame?

A common question that arises – Is clout the same as fame? The answer is No. Even though clout and fame have similar meanings but they are not exactly the same. The following table can help you understand the difference between the two:

Difference between Fame and Clout

Clout and Fame are used interchangeably a lot of times but we need to understand the subtle difference between the two. Clout is a subset of fame. Both the words refer to being well-known, having an influence, and being popular. But there is a difference between a person who has clout and a person who has fame.

Simply put, how did a person get popular? Did he/she do something notable and good for society or was it just something notorious to seek attention? How is the person so influential? Answering these questions will help us understand the subtle difference between clout and fame.

Fame is the state of being popular and known on account of notable achievements. Clout is being well-known and having an influence in any area of life on account of ‘anything’.

Example:

• Fame focuses on notable achievements while clout does not. Taylor Swift has fame. Michael Jordan has fame. Shahrukh Khan has fame. All of these personalities have achieved something notable. They have done it through hard work and dedication and that makes them popular.

• Clout focuses on having an influence by any means. If a teen unknowingly creates content on TikTok or Instagram or any other social platform that goes viral, the teen will have a short-term influence in the social media space. This is clout. The kid has clout. He or she is being talked about, has become popular without a notable achievement, and also holds some influence. Meanwhile, a question might arise in your mind that the people mentioned in the fame example (Taylor Swift, Michael Jordan and Shahrukh Khan) also have a great amount of influence.

So are they considered to have clout too? The answer is Yes. They have both fame and clout. Most Celebs have clout as well as fame at the same time. Clout is just a subset of fame. Fame is supreme and long-lasting. Clout might not be.

Well, from all of this we come to the term ‘Clout Chaser‘.

Meaning Of The Term Clout Chaser

The internet age freaks use the term Clout Chaser to describe a person who desperately tries to seek more attention, popularity, influence, and of course, more followers.

Clout Chaser is a person, many times a desperate one, who does things only with the intention of being talked about and getting popular quickly. There are many ways a person can chase clout. All clout chasers are different.

Read Now: WHO IS A CLOUT CHASER? MEANING AND USES

Urban Dictionary’s definition of a clout chaser is a person that only hangs with certain people or starts beef (a fight or controversy) with others to gain popularity.

Pretending to be someone you are not just to attract the attention of others is also clout chasing. People who excessively flex their lifestyle on social media or exploit the algorithms (using fake bots) to seek attention and to gain more engagement on their posts are clout chasers. 

Clout Chaser in a sentence:

• Tom always boasts his car collection on TikTok to get attention. He is such a clout chaser.
• Sarah loves to get into controversies because she is a clout chaser.

Some clout chasers take the clout chasing concept to the next level where they can possibly do anything for clout.

‘Do Anything For Clout’ Meaning

“They do anything for clout”. The famous Offset’s hip-hop Album song featuring Cardi B made the ‘do anything for clout’ rendition popular in 2019. It means that there are no defined limits of irrationality to get clout.

Kids and adults alike blabber nonsense in their tweets and Instagram posts or post invalidated conspiracy theories without any substantial backings or contradict well-proven facts just to attract attention. This is the definition of doing anything for clout’.

This is not just it. Doing anything for clout even holds true in murdering other people for clout. Young Thug released a song titled Gain Clout in 2018 which revolved around this idea. Ty Dolla $ign and Denzel Curry have also gone on record using the word. Their songs, titled Clout and Clout Cobain have garnered millions of views on YouTube.

The Clout Goggles

“These ain’t glasses, baby. These Clout Goggles”. In the summer of 2017, Denzel Curry took the internet by storm when he was seen in a YouTube video wearing white round sunglasses from Christian Roth’s Archive 1993 that had a distinct rockstar vibe attached to them. 

The Clout Goggles quickly went viral and were seen everywhere even on many meme pages. Memers edited the Clout Goggles on pictures of famous celebrities and it was noted as one hell of a time in the history of meme generation. Clout Goggles became so famous that well-known rappers and hip-hop artists like Lil Yachty, Lil B, Wiz Khalifa, and Ian Connor were also seen wearing them at different red-carpet events. 

The sales of Clout Goggles in this period went over the roof. Everyone rushed to grab a piece of clout that was prevalent in 2007 due to Clout Goggles. Clout Goggles simply mean any goggles with a big white frame and dark lenses, like the Archive 1993 by designer Christian Roth. It was basically a period where anyone with clout goggles was considered fashionable, trendy, and cool.

Over the years the word clout became so well-liked that influencers started making content houses with the word clout in them and we the rise of Clout Gang and the Clout House.

Clout Gang And The Clout House

Few of the biggest YouTubers on the planet identify themselves to be a part of the Clout Gang which they have formed to live collectively in the Clout House. It is a luxurious, super-comfy, and amenity-filled multi-million dollar mansion in Los Angeles. Similar to Jake Paul’s Team 10 House, Clout House accommodates famous and well-known YouTubers.

The three founding members tweeted #cloutgang in 2017 and the rest is history. The founding members of Clout Gang are the professional gamer from FaZe Clan FaZe Banks, viral content creator RiceGum, and Alissa Violet.

Other members who are a part of Clout House are the Teens Wanna Know star Carrington Durham, 20-year old professional content editor TeaWap, Ryan Swayze, rapper UglyGoda and more.

Clout News

As the name suggests, Clout News is an online news portal. It is one of the fastest-growing entertainment news portals on the web. Clout News reports breaking stories and gossips about Hollywood, Bollywood, K-Dramas, Music, Influencers, Sports, Fashion, Lifestyle, and more.

Clout News App

A quick ‘Clout’ search on your phone’s app/play store brings up several results. The popularity of the word Clout is evident among developers who want to have it in the name of their app. One such app stands out amidst the flurry of Clout-named apps. It is the Clout News App.

The official Clout News App is available both on the iOS App Store and Android Play Store. It is gaining a lot of traction among readers who love to stay updated about the ongoing trends in the entertainment industry. Be it your favorite singer releasing a new album or Kanye West’s new Yeezy collection, Clout News App covers it all. The app has over 2,500 downloads and great reviews on the AppStore.

Clout News App also has loads of fun exclusive interviews with celebrities and influencers. The ‘Celebs got Clout’ and ‘Influencers got Clout’ category is a fan favorite. To date, Clout News has exclusively interviewed famous personalities like Lady Victoria Hervey, Sean Borg, Valerie Grand, and more.

Clout Newsletter

The free monthly Clout newsletter is the most relevant entertainment industry newsletter that you can get your hands on. It brings all the major gossips from various industries that matter to you directly to your inbox, once a month. And guess what? All of this is free of cost. Readers don’t have to pay a single penny to subscribe to the Clout Newsletter.

They also surprise their subscribers with regular giveaways, gifts, and exclusive content such as would you rather and rapid-fire game sessions with well-known celebrities.

Clout Games

Clout has reached the gaming world as well. A group of game developers who go by the name of Clout Games is currently working on their first-ever horror-adventure game project named Ill (i – L – L). The trailer of Ill was also shared recently.

Clout Games has four members. They are Oleg Vdovenko and Vadim Vdovenko from Tula, Alexey Mikhailov from St. Petersburg, and Maxim Verekhin from Canada. It’s evident that the group is quite diversified and multi-national.

However, Clout Games’ dream Ill project is not under development. They are seeking funding for game development on Patreon and other similar platforms. The general public is hooked on this group and the prospects it has to offer.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What does Clout mean?

A.) Clout is a modern-day slang term that means having an influence or power in any area of life, be it politics or business. In a broader sense, it also means popularity and fame.

2. Why do rappers and hip-hop artists use the word Clout?

A.) Rappers like Lil Yachty, Denzel Curry, Offset, Cardi B, and others have used Clout. Whenever clout is used, it means having an influence or being well-known and popular. In the 2019 song, Cardi B says ‘they do anything for clout (anything)’.

3. What does Clout Chaser mean?

A.) Clout Chaser is a person, usually a desperate one, who would do anything to get short-term attention and fame.

4. Do TikTokers have Clout?

A.) Not all TikTok users are influential and popular. Thus, not all the TikTokers have clout.

5. Does Clout mean fame?

A.) Clout is just a subset of fame. Fame is supreme and long-lasting but Clout might not be. 

6. Is Clout a formal word?

A.) Clout is an informal slang term for modern-day use.

7. Who started saying Clout?

A.) In 1946, Mike Rokyo, a political journalist was amongst the first few people to use the word Clout. It was used in relation to political power and influence. Prior to this, Clout had an entirely different meaning.

8.) What does ‘no free clout’ mean?

A.) It means when someone deletes their original tweet because another person was getting free clout by retweeting it. It is commonly used on Twitter.

9.) What is another word for clout?

A.) Influence, popularity, power, authority, prestige, etc

10.) How do I get clout?

A.) Try creating viral content on social media to get clout. Establishing a successful business can also bring you clout. Being associated with someone who has clout is also a way to get clout.