Meaning & use
cool beans
Last updated
Meanings
interjectioninformalslang
Used to show you are pleased, that you agree, or that something sounds good to you.
Grammar: Said on its own as a full reaction; it does not take an object or a following noun.
Patterns
- cool beans!
- Cool beans, that works for me.
You got the tickets for Friday? Cool beans!
Cool beans, I'll meet you outside the station at six.
She said she could give us a lift, and I just went, "Cool beans."
interjectioninformalslang
Used to answer yes in a light, casual way when someone asks for your agreement.
Grammar: Often a short reply to a suggestion or request rather than a statement about a fact.
Patterns
- — Can you help? — Cool beans.
- Cool beans, let's do that.
"Want to grab a coffee after class?" "Cool beans."
Cool beans, I'm in — what time does it start?
Common combinations
- Cool beans!
- Cool beans! That's exactly what I hoped you'd say.
- say "cool beans"
- He says "cool beans" about almost everything, even bad news.
- go "cool beans"
- When she told me the price, I just went "cool beans" and paid.
- Cool beans, that works.
- Cool beans, that works — see you at eight.
- still saying cool beans
- My dad is still saying cool beans, which my friends find funny.
Synonyms and how they differ
- great
- Also shows approval, but it is neutral in register and fits formal writing, where cool beans would sound odd.
- awesome
- Stronger and more enthusiastic than cool beans, and far more common among younger speakers today.
- sure
- Agrees with a suggestion, but it carries no particular enthusiasm, unlike cool beans.
- no worries
- Reassures or agrees in casual talk, but it answers a problem or apology rather than expressing pleasure.
Commonly confused: cool beans or cool bean? cool beans or cool?
cool beans vs cool bean
The singular form is not the expression; the phrase is always plural, cool beans, even when you mean one thing.
cool beans vs cool
Cool alone can mean 'a bit cold' or 'calm'; cool beans is only the fixed phrase of approval.
Practice
Your friend suggests meeting at the new pizza place. Which reply uses the expression naturally?
Choose one answer.
Cool beans stands alone as a reaction, so it fits before a comment like 'I love pizza'. The other options try to give it an object, a preposition, or a comparative form, none of which the phrase allows.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cool beans”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.