power level

See also: powerlevel

English

Etymology

The figurative senses are a reference to the Japanese franchise Dragon Ball, where many characters have "power levels" indicating how powerful they are.

Noun

power level (plural power levels)

1. (Internet slang) An interest or specialized knowledge in a subject seen as uncool, especially related to video games and otaku culture.
   • 2018 April 3, Sam Rutherford, “MSI's GS65 Stealth Is a Gaming Laptop Made for Adults”, in Gizmodo‎^[1]:

     The black and gold paint job is a subtle but still stylish way to hide your power level.

2. (Internet slang, alt-right) Extreme political views, especially those on the far right.
   • 2017 November 13, Shree Paradkar, “Massive fascist rally in Poland shows how the far right has perverted the word 'patriotism'”, in The Toronto Star‎^[2]:

     The message of the posters originate from a strategy called "Hiding your power level" or publicly disavowing Nazis and painting any opposition to this message as anti-white racism, the news site reported.

   • 2019 November 22, Matthew Sheffield, “The Conservative Establishment's Nightmare Is Only Just Beginning”, in Washington Monthly‎^[3]:

     The idea that minority Republicans would want to support a white nationalist makes little sense until one realizes that Fuentes is fond of using coded language to hide messages intended only for racists, a practice frequently referred to within the alt-right as "hiding your power level."

   • 2022 September 20, Travis View (quoted), Sam Brodey, “AZ Secretary of State Candidate Mark Finchem Campaigned With Sandy Hook Truther”, in The Daily Beast‎^[4]:

     It'd be a signal to other candidates, that you don't have to hide your 'power level,' as extremists like to say.

   • 2022 October 21, “How Kanye Pushed Balenciaga & Demna to Their Limit”, in Highsnobiety‎^[5]:

     Over the past couple weeks, Kanye West revealed his power level, as the kids say. For starters, there was Ye's White Lives Matter T-shirt, which basically rendered everything else at his last-minute YZY SZN 9 fashion show irrelevant, the anti-Semitic tweets that got Ye booted off Twitter, and Ye's very public embrace of bigots like Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson.

3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see power,‎ level.

Usage notes

• In idiomatic use online, generally discussed in terms of "hiding" and "revealing" one's power level (to one's acquaintances, family, etc.).