Netflix and chill

What does Netflix and chill mean?

Netflix and chill is a playful, suggestive slang expression that refers to (having) a casual sexual encounter between two people hanging out at home, possibly prefaced by watching a streaming service like Netflix. The expression is also more innocently used for relaxing at home in the evening by watching TV or movies, as opposed to going out.

Examples of Netflix and chill

Men, what’s your limit on spending on a first date? Or do you go Dutch? Or do you skip dating and Netflix and chill 😂🤷🏾‍♀️ women if you ask him, do you pay?
—@kenza_focusedonme, Threads, 13 Nov. 2024

I don't like Netflix and Chill. What about "book store and awkwardly flirt?"
—@snehasbookshelf, Threads, 19 Jun. 2024

Another type of congress is sexual congress, and when you call someone up to come over to “Netflix and chill,” that is called a BOOTY CALL.
—Deb Amlen, New York Times, 12 May 2022

The decade [2010s] we Netflixed and chilled.
—@TeenVogue, 15 Dec. 2019

It saddens me that people are now willing to settle for a lukewarm “Netflix and Chill” date. Dating should be fun, new and exciting.
—Emily Koepsel, Media Milwaukee, 29 Jun. 2017

Where does Netflix and chill come from?

Netflix refers to the streaming service, Netflix, whose success and popularity has made it a go-to reference for watching movies or television at home. Chill means “to hang out, relax.” The expression emerged in the early 2010s online at the same time streaming was beginning to transform the home media landscape. Initial uses of Netflix and chill were just that: a shorthand expression for staying in to relax and watch a movie or TV, as on Netflix. In 2015, the phrase became massively popular following a number of observations, jokes, memes, etc., that used Netflix and chill as innuendo for hooking up, especially in the context of inviting a romantic interest over to make a sexual advance or hook up under the guise of the common activity of watching Netflix and hanging out.

How is Netflix and chill used?

After its peak in October 2015, Netflix and chill has come to be widely used in a playful and knowing manner, alluding to its use in the aforementioned social media trend. This frequently takes the form of spoofs on the original phrase, as in “Netflix and chill? I’m more of a ‘puzzle and nuzzle’—with my dog—kind of guy.” It’s also used to describe movies or TV shows presented as suitable for a romantic or otherwise cozy night in (‘a great Netflix-and-chill rom-com’).

Netflix and chill—often as a standalone phrase, sometimes formulated as a question—has some use as a coy come-on, as when captioning a sexy selfie or discussing dating topics. Even then, Netflix and chill can be just as commonly used for hanging out at home at the end of the day with a good watch—with or without a partner, with or without any funny business. That said, context matters for Netflix and chill—it would likely be considered quite awkward if you asked a friend to Netflix and chill when you just want to binge old episodes of Friends with them.