power level

Noun

power level (plural power levels)

1. (Japanese, especially, slang) A symbolic and often arbitrary unit of measurement representing strength and fighting ability.
   • Miku's power level skyrockets up to 15,000 during the big battle in episode 31.
   • Nappa: Vegeta, what does the scouter say about his power level? / Vegeta: It's over 9,000!1997 April 19, Hiroshi Toda, “The Return of Goku”, in Minoru Okazaki, director, Dragon Ball Z, episode 21, (English dubbing of Japanese original)
2. (Internet, broadly) An interest or specialized knowledge in a subject seen as uncool, especially related to video games and otaku culture.
   • The black and gold paint job is a subtle but still stylish way to hide your power level.2018 April 3, Sam Rutherford, “MSI's GS65 Stealth Is a Gaming Laptop Made for Adults”, in Gizmodo, archived from the original on 07 Apr 2020
3. (Internet, broadly) Extreme political views, especially those on the far right.
   • The message of the posters originate from a strategy called "Hiding your power level" or publicly disavowing Nazis and painting any opposition to this message as anti-white racism, the news site reported.2017 November 13, Shree Paradkar, “Massive fascist rally in Poland shows how the far right has perverted the word 'patriotism'”, in The Toronto Star, archived from the original on 15 Jan 2026
   • The idea that minority Republicans would want to support a white nationalist makes little sense until one realizes that Fuentes is fond of using coded language to hide messages intended only for racists, a practice frequently referred to within the alt-right as "hiding your power level."2019 November 22, Matthew Sheffield, “The Conservative Establishment's Nightmare Is Only Just Beginning”, in Washington Monthly, archived from the original on 07 Mar 2021
4. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see power, level.
   • This is a heavy-duty fridge that operates on a higher power level than most households can supply.