divorced energy
- noun
- Slang
- His divorced energy made him cautious about dating again.
Examples
-
His divorced energy made it hard for him to trust anyone.
-
At social gatherings, she gave off unmistakable divorced energy to anyone nearby.
-
After the breakup, his friends joked that he had full divorced energy for months.
-
She has a unique divorced energy.
-
At social gatherings, she gave off unmistakable divorced energy to anyone nearby.
-
His divorced energy made him cautious about dating again.
-
His divorced energy made it hard for him to trust anyone.
Synonyms
A confident, free attitude someone shows after a divorce
How Guarded
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase combines a transparent referent ('divorced' = having ended a marriage) with 'energy', but here 'energy' is a slang/metaphorical use meaning 'vibe/attitude' rather than literal stamina. A B1 learner who knows the literal words might guess it relates to the mood of someone who is divorced, but the pragmatic, cultural and evaluative nuances of this slang usage are not fully predictable without exposure.
Etymology
The expression divorced energy may come from the image of someone carrying the mood of being divorced: divorced (no longer married) and energy (their 'vibe' or feeling). That's why it means the particular, often cautious way a person behaves and meets people after a divorce.