"Goonen" as a youth word in 2025: What does the term mean and how is it used?

The poll for the 2025 Youth Word of the Year is underway, and many terms are generating online debate. Among the top three is " goonen ." How is this term used in youth slang?

A youth word candidate that's not entirely suitable for young people? This probably applies most to the verb "goonen" or its substantivized form "gooning." This harmless-sounding term actually means nothing other than "masturbation," but often in an extreme form. Those who use the term usually mean "sticking with it for a very long time" or the intensive consumption of pornography.

As a sex trend in recent years, the term “gooning” describes masturbation as an extended and meditative experience – meaning masturbating for hours, sometimes even days.

"Gooning" is also associated with another term: "edging." It means deliberately delaying orgasm by bringing yourself to a point just before climax and then stopping or reducing stimulation to maintain arousal. The goal is to maintain sexual tension longer and thus ultimately experience a more intense orgasm.

Although "gooning" is a trendy expression in youth slang for intense masturbation, it's important to also examine the topic critically. Extended and deliberate lingering in a state of sexual arousal can lead to problematic behavior in some people.

If "gooning" is practiced compulsively, it can negatively impact social contacts and everyday life and be a sign of sexual behavioral addiction. Therefore, young people should use the term sensitively and ensure a conscious, moderate approach to their sexuality.

However, its use in youth slang is usually less problematic. "Goonen" is often simply used as an ironic synonym for "onanieren" or "masturbieren" and has no serious connotation.

• In English: [ˈguːnɪŋ] – roughly ˈguːn-ɪŋ , where the “oo” sounds like in “moon” and the “-ing” at the end is slightly pronounced “-en”.
• In German it is often adopted in a similar way, i.e. goon-en with a long “oo” and the “en” at the end.

The spelling is always "goonen" (lowercase, as it's a verb). When used as a noun, it's "gooning."