slang, dated
salty
Meaning
- Bitter or irritated, usually over something small.
- Used to describe someone who won’t drop a grudge.
“He’s still salty about losing that game two weeks ago.”
Where it came from
Used in this sense in American slang since at least the mid-twentieth century, with roots in naval and military talk about a foul mood. Hip-hop kept the word alive, and gaming and internet slang carried it into wide, casual use through the 2010s.