Degen - What does degen mean? (2024)

A gambler who makes foolish bets

Degen, which is short for "degenerate," is typically used to describe a gambler who gambles too much or regularly makes bad bets. Poker players, sports bettors, and stock traders can all be degens.

A degen may be a problem gambler (a gambler whose gambling negatively affects their life), or they may just be willing to throw away money on stupid, amusing bets every now and then. Poker players, especially, like to call out degen behavior - which is any sort of loose or excessive gambling performed outside the game.

Degen can also be used as a verb, such as in the sentence "Phil degened away $10,000 last night." Used this way, degen roughly means "to make an imprudent bet."

They're betting on who can hold a handstand the longest? What degens.

A degen story from Reddit