Baller

A baller is a successful person others admire due to their wealth, ability to play a sport (likely basketball), or overall coolness. For example, if you give a friend a ride in your new sportscar, they may remark, "Dude, this whip officially makes you a baller!"

While most people use baller as a noun, people may also use it as an adjective similar to glamorous or desirable. For example, you may tell your friend, "Charlie's baller lifestyle is finally catching up to him, and he's gonna have to get a real job."

Origin of baller

The origins of the slang term "baller" date back to at least the 19th century as a way to refer to sports players (e.g., "footballer"). However, it didn't become popular in its modern form until the 1990s, when the Black community popularized it in basketball as both a noun and adjective. For example, "Wanna Be a Baller" is a single by American hip-hop artist Lil' Troy released in 1998.