What does stoner mean?
Stoner is an informal English noun for a person who is intoxicated by cannabis or who uses cannabis habitually. The word can be used neutrally, as in “a documentary about stoner culture,” or somewhat dismissively when describing someone's lifestyle or choice to use cannabis. It became particularly prominent in American and British countercultural language and later in discussions of music and comedy. The phrase “stoner rock” names a genre of heavy, often psychedelic rock, while “stoner comedy” describes films and television shows built around cannabis-centered humor. In casual speech, stoner may refer either to someone currently under the influence or, more generally, to a habitual cannabis user. Although the term is well established in informal English, it is less suitable for formal writing, and its connotation can shift from playful or self-deprecating to derogatory.
nounAn informal term for a person who is intoxicated, especially by cannabis. It can also refer more generally to someone who uses cannabis habitually.
- An informal term for a person who is intoxicated, especially by cannabis.
- A person who uses cannabis habitually, whether or not they are intoxicated at the moment.
"The group of stoners gathered around the campfire and passed a joint."
"He was a stoner by the time the band finished its encore."
"Stoner culture has influenced the album covers and low-fi imagery of several underground bands."
The plural is regular and refers to multiple people who use or are intoxicated by cannabis.
"The forum welcomed stoners from across the country to discuss the proposed cannabis club."
The cannabis sense of stoner also helped name a distinctive style of heavy, psychedelic music: stoner rock.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does stoner come from?
Stoner is an agent noun formed with the suffix -er from stoned, meaning “intoxicated, especially by cannabis.” Its modern cannabis senses developed during the twentieth century as cannabis use became a recognizable subject of slang and popular culture. The word ultimately belongs to the English family based on Old English stān, “stone,” represented in related forms such as stony and stoneware.
How stoner is actually used
The word is informal and can sound affectionate, neutral, or mildly dismissive depending on context and tone. The habitual-user sense is especially common in discussions of cannabis culture, music, and comedy.
Easily confused with stoner
Stoned is an adjective or verb describing someone or something that is intoxicated, while stoner is a noun naming the person.