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List of Generation Z slang
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 | This article possibly contains original research. (April 2024) |
This is a list of slang that is or was previously popularized by Generation Z (Gen Z), generally those born between the late 1990s and early 2010s in the Western world.
Background
Generation Z slang differs from slang of prior generations.[1][2] Ease of communication with the internet results in slang proliferated to greater and swifter extent.[2][3][4]
Many Gen Z slang terms were not originally coined by Gen Z members, and were already in usage and simply made more mainstream outside the African-American community. Lots of Gen Z slang has been derived from African-American Vernacular English, while other are derived from drag queen/LGBTQ+ culture.[3][4] Linguist Michael Adams told Business Insider that “African Americans come up with their language and it gets appropriated away from them, so then they come up with new language, so African Americans are a never ending stream of slang input in American English.”[5]
List
| Slang term | Definition | Origin | Example | Variations | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Af/Asf | Shortened version of "as fuck." | The abbreviation "AF" was first defined by Urban Dictionary user Mr McDownage on October 10, 2011. The term was popularized by Twitter user @whitepplquote on June 7, 2015, tweeting "Saying 'af' instead of 'As Fuck.'" | "That is lame asf."
"You're crazy af!" |
as fuck | [6] |
| Asl | Shortened version of "as hell." Unrelated to early internet slang, "age/sex/location." | "Your shirt looks cool asl." | as hell | [7] | |
| Ate | Phrase used to show admiration or praise for someone who succeeded or performed well in something. | Term originated in the African-American LGBTQ+ communities in the 2000s. Popularized by social media platforms such as TikTok. | "Girl, you ate that outfit."
"That choreography ate down." "They ate and left no crumbs." |
Ate down, Eat, Eating,
Ate that, Ate it up, Devoured, Ate and left no crumbs, Left no crumbs |
[8] |
| Banger | Term used to describe something that is exceptional, impressive, or of high quality. Often referring to a catchy or energetic piece of music. | "Play that song again, it's a banger." | Bangs | [9][10] | |
| Based | Originally meaning "to be yourself and not care about how others view you", the word is now used to indicate an opinion or something that someone agrees with. It is especially common in political slang and discussions and may be used for controversial topics. Sometimes used as a positive antonym for "cringe." | Initially, African-American vernacular for being addicted or acting as if one were addicted to crack cocaine. Redefined by rapper Lil B, who used it to refer to his rapping style. | "Your opinion is based." | Based and redpilled[a] | [11] |
| Basic | Used to denote those who prefer mainstream products, trends, and music. | Derived from the term "basic bitch", which was coined in 2009 by American stand-up comedian Lil' Duval. | "Those girls over there look so basic." | Basic bitch | [12][13][14] |
| BDE | Abbreviation for "big dick energy." Term used for someone who exudes confidence and ease. | Originated from Twitter post by @imbobswaget in June 2018, claiming that Anthony Bourdain had "big dick energy." Term went on to frequently be associated with Pete Davidson. | "He just has BDE." | Big dick energy,
Big energy |
[15] |
| Bestie | Short for "best friend". Sometimes used jokingly with someone one does not have any relationship to. | "You are my number one bestie." | [16] | ||
| Bet | Yes, okay, "it's on." | Derived from non-slang bet (to bet on something). Originated in its current form from African-American vernacular and campus slang. | "You want to get ice cream after school? Bet." | [17] | |
| Bffr | Abbreviation for "Be fucking for real." Meaning "be serious" or in response to something so incredible it cannot be real. | Derived from African-American vernacular, popularized on TikTok due to remix of a sound bite from rapper Slump6s in 2022. | "You think you can play in the NBA? Bffr." | Be so fucking for real,
Be so for real |
[18] |
| Big yikes | Used to describe something embarrassing or cringey, particularly in response to an offensive comment. | Gained popularity in 2017. | "Wow, when he failed that stunt, that was a big yikes." | [19] | |
| Blud | Another word for a "friend" or "Bro". It is often used to describe people or animals that are out of place. | Derived from Jamaican slang and is believed to originally come from the term "blood brothers". | "How's it going blud?"
"What is blud doing right now?" |
[20] | |
| Body count | A euphemism for how many people one has had sex with. | Derived from the formal definition of the word, that is, how many people one's killed. The modern slang usage gained further popularity on TikTok, with a trend where users would ask strangers their "body count" in real life. | "I heard her body count was over 20." | Bodycount | [citation needed] |
| Boujee (US: /ˈbuːʒi/ ) | High-class/materialistic. | Derived from the French term for burghers, bourgeoisie, which originated in the 16th century. By the 1970s, the shortened version had been born as bougie. The term was popularized in 2016 by the song Bad and Boujee by the rap trio Migos, featuring Lil Uzi Vert. | "You must live in a castle since you're acting boujee." | Bougie | [21] |
| Brainrot | Used to describe the state of a person losing touch with the real world as a result of the consumption of meaningless, chronically online, hyperstimulating content (such as Skibidi Toilet), or as a negative term to describe seemingly meaningless buzzwords most associated with members of Gen Alpha (such as "skibidi", "sigma", or "rizz"). | Derived from a euphemism that one's brain would literally "rot", or that one has "brain rot", by regular consumption of offending "brainrot" content. The term was popularized in 2023 with the rising interest in Gen Alpha and concerned discussion surrounding the outcome of Generation Alpha. | "Bro, the skibidi toilet gyatt ohio sigma kai cenat rizzler memes are literal brainrot... what the fuck has this world come to? I'm worried for Gen Alpha.." | Brain rot, brain-rot | [22][23] |
| Bruh (/brʌ/ ) | Term used to express a feeling of shock, embarrassment, or disappointment toward something or someone. | Originated and was popularized from Black English as a shortened version of "brother." | "Did you just dent my car? Bruh!" | Bro, Bru, Brah,
Bruh Moment |
[24][25] |
| Bussin' | Extremely good, excellent. Also used to describe good food. | Originated from African-American vernacular as a way of complimenting good food. Though not related, it has also been used as a derogative term for ejaculation. | "This salad is bussin." | Bussin | [26] |
| Bussy | Portmanteau of "Boy" (a young male) and "Pussy" (slang for vagina). Effectively, a man's anus. See also: -ussy | "Someone said that they saw his bussy." | [27] | ||
| Cap | To lie. Specifically, saying someone is "capping" or "cap" means to say they are lying. On the other hand, if someone says "no cap", it means they aren't lying. | First used in 1906 by Alfred Henry Lewis in his book Confessions of a Detective, this may have originated from another slang usage of "cap", meaning to brag or exaggerate. Popularized in 2017. | "I'm actually going to be productive today, no cap."
"You actually got tickets to the Bad Bunny concert? You're capping." |
No Cap | [28][29][30] |
| Caught in 4k | Refers to someone being caught doing something wrong or incriminating on camera or with evidence to prove it. | Originally from YouTuber RDCworld1's 2019 video How Lawyers Always Get Rappers Off, in which a lawyer talks to his client who was caught on video committing various crimes. The term is used similarly to the phrase "caught red-handed." | "How do they catch you in 4k?"
"Bro really got caught in 4k." |
Catch in 4k, Catching in 4k | [31][32] |
| Cook (verb) | To "cook", as a verb, is to prepare or initiate a situation with intent of creating a result.
The most common uses ("Someone cooked here" and "Let him cook") are a request to give one space to proceed uninterrupted (especially when saying or doing something provocative) in the hope that the result might be entertaining, if not agreeable. |
Originated within the African-American community. Can be traced back to Lil B. Popularized on Twitter and TikTok for the mainstream in early 2023. Can mean something else given context (See "cooked"). | "Hold on, let him cook."
"Someone cooked here." |
[33][34][35] | |
| Cooked (adjective) | When a person or subject is "Cooked" (As an adjective), it's the state of being in any sort of danger, physical, emotional, of failure, or of reputation. Can be used in a similar fashion to "Doomed." It can also mean to have been humiliated, embarrassed, or messed up in some way. | Popularized on Twitter in early 2023. Can mean something else given context (See "cook" above). | "We're down 20 points, we are so cooked."
"He just cooked her in the debate." "This generation is cooked." |
Getting cooked,
Being cooked |
[36] |
| Clapback | Swift and witty response to an insult or critique. | Derived from the eponymous 2003 song "Clap Back" by rapper Ja Rule, which was a diss track against 50 Cent and Eminem, where the term was used to describe how Ja Rule and his crew would shoot those who oppose him. Garnered popularity on Twitter. | "He was being mocked, so he clapped back and made the whole room go quiet." | Clap back,
Clapped back |
[37] |
| Dab | A dance move used as a gesture of triumph. | The move originated in Japanese popular culture with shows such as Dragon Ball and Super Sentai before being adopted by rap groups in the 2010s. | "He dabbed on the haters." | Dabbed, Dabbing | [38][39] |
| Dank | Used to describe an ironic internet meme. | The term dank has been in the English language since the 14th century and refers to something unpleasantly moist or humid. It was appropriated by marijuana culture in the 1980s to mean something excellent. In the 1990s, it came to describe high-quality cannabis, perhaps influenced by cannabis' pungent and moist attributes. The modern internet meme version stems from 2013 on message boards such as Reddit and 4chan. | "I like dank memes." | Dank meme, Dankest meme | [40] |
| Ded | Used to describe something humorous to such an extent as to "kill you." | Laughter and death as a combined concept has been present since Ancient Greece, where it is held that Zeuxis died from laughing at a portrait of an ugly woman he was painting. Ded stems from a folk etymology for dead reckoning. Emerged on the internet in the early 1990s as a representation for regional speech. | "I am literally ded, that was hilarious." | Dead, I'm dead | [41][42] |
| Delulu (/dəlulu/ ) | Used to describe someone who holds unrealistic or overly idealistic beliefs, especially in the realm of relationships. | Derived from the English word "delusional," and has its origins in internet communities obsessed with K-pop culture. The phrase "delulu is the solulu," implying self-confidence is the solution, helped increase the popularity of the term. | "You are so delulu." | Solulu, Trululu | [43] |
| Drip | Trendy high-class fashion. | Origin is controversial; rap blog HipHopDX claims that it stems from the Atlanta Rap scene in the early 2000s; an Urban Dictionary entry states that it's early 2010s Jersey slang, and some state that it may originate from the late 2000s teen show Zoey 101, where dripping was a synonym for "cool." | "Cool drip, where'd you buy it? | Dripper, Drippy | [44] |
| Era | Term used to label a person's current interests or priorities. | Originated from the "In My Era" trend on TikTok in 2022, which involves users highlighting unique aspects or moments to showcase themselves as the "main character" of their lives. | "I've been working out, I'm in my fitness era."
"I'm in my villain era." |
[45][46][47] | |
| Extra | Someone or something that is over-the-top, excessive, or dramatic in behavior, appearance, or actions. | Has origins in African-American vernacular and gained popularity and usage in mainstream social media and pop culture. | "They are so extra." | [48] | |
| Fanum tax | The theft of food between friends. | Coined by American streamer Fanum | "I need to pay my Fanum tax, otherwise Fanum will lock me up in Ohio." | [49] | |
| Fit/Fit check | Term used to highlight or bring attention to one's outfit. Also used as a shortened version of "outfit." | Popularized on social media since at least 2017. | "#fit check"
"This fit is iconic." |
[50] | |
| Flex | Meaning to showcase or boast about one's achievements, possessions, or skills to demonstrate confidence or superiority. | Originated from African-American Vernacular and gained wider usage in mainstream culture and social media. | "Not to flex, but I got a 98 on the test." | Flexing, Flexed, Flex zone | [51][52] |
| Gagged | To be shocked, amazed, or at loss for words. | Came from the Black LGBTQ slang and originated within the drag scene. Originally, drag queens used "gagged" when complimenting amazing performances. | "The plot twist in that movie had me totally gagged!" | Gag | [53][54] |
| Gatekeep | Withholding information or knowledge from others to keep something exclusive to oneself. | First used by social psychologist Kurt Lewin in 1943 with the Gate-keeping theory. Popularized on social media such as TikTok. | "She gatekeeps her music taste." | Gatekeeping,
Gatekept, Gatekeeper |
[55] |
| Girlboss | A female entrepreneur who succeeds in the male-dominated business world, an empowered woman. | Popularized in 2014 through Sophia Amorusos autobiography #GIRLBOSS. | "She's such a girlboss!" | Girlbossing, Girlbossed, Girlbossery | [56] |
| Ghost | Ending communication or contact with someone without warning. | Popularized around 2015 through articles on celebrity relationship dissolutions. | "Why do you keep ghosting me?" | Ghosting, Ghosted | [57][58][59][60] |
| Glaze | To over-hype, praise, or compliment someone to the point where it becomes annoying or cringeworthy. | First surfaced on Discord in late 2021 and was popularized on Twitch. The term made its way to YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok in 2023. The term is used similarly to "kiss-ass" or "suck-up." | "You need to stop glazing." | Glazing, Glazer, Meatriding | [61][62][63] |
| Glow-up | A major improvement in one's self, usually an improvement in appearance, confidence, and style. Frequently used in a context relating to puberty. On the other hand, "glow-down" is a situation where someone’s appearance has declined. | Popularized (and possibly coined) by rapper Chief Keef in his 2013 single Gotta Glo Up One Day. | "Their glow-up over the summer was insane."
"Yeah, she had a glow-down." |
Glo up, Glowed-up,
Glow-Down, Glowed-Down |
[64] |
| GOAT | Acronym for Greatest Of All Time. | "You're the GOAT." | GOAT/Goated/🐐 | [65] | |
| Gucci (/ˈɡuːtʃi/ | Meaning good, cool, fashionable, or excellent. Used to express approval or satisfaction for something. | Originated from the famous luxury brand Gucci. | "Those shoes are gucci."
"I'm all gucci." |
Gooch | [66] |
| Gyat (US: /ɡjɑːt/ ; UK: /ɡjæt/) | Short for "God Damn". Often said when someone sees a person (usually female) with a curvy figure or enlarged buttocks. | Originated in AAVE as short for "God Damn" and popularized on TikTok in mid-2022, originated in the mid-2010s.[67] | "That girl has a huge Gyatt!" | Gyatty, Yat, Gyat W Gyatt, L Gyatt | [68][69] |
| Hits different | Something that is better in a peculiar manner. | Originates from fans of YouTubers Daniel Howell and Phil Lester. In 2019, Howell came out as gay; his fans subsequently posted clips of him and Lester together, with the term "hits different" in the titles. Beginning in July 2019, it spread out of the gay community. | "Sprite from McDonald's just hits different." | Hit different | [70] |
| Ick | Term used to refer to a sudden feeling of disgust or repulsion to a dating partner someone was previously attracted to. | The term in reference to dating comes from the 1999 episode "Once in a Lifetime" from the TV Show Ally McBeal. In the episode, Ally refers to not being attracted to someone as "the ick." The reality show Love Island helped popularize the term, as several cast members would use the phrase. By the early 2020s the term became very popular on social media and as a result was profiled by mainstream media outlets. | "He gave me the ick."
"Ew, that was icky." |
Icky | [71] |
| IJBOL (/ˈidʒ.boʊl/[72]) | An acronym for the phrase "I just burst out laughing", a version of "lmao." | Dates back to 2009 as an alternate version of "lmao" or "lol" but is lately popularized into mainstream Twitter culture through the K-pop stan community in 2021, reaching its current level of use today. | "You're hilarious, IJBOL." | IJBOL, jbol | [73] |
| I oop | Used to express shock, embarrassment, and or amusement. | Originated from drag queen Jasmine Masters in a 2015 YouTube video, stated after she apparently "hit her balls." It went viral in March 2019 as an internet meme and became associated with VSCO girls. | "Did she just fall? I oop." | And I Oop | [74] |
| iPad kid | Derogatory term describing Generation Alpha children who spend most of their time staring at phone or tablet screens. | The term was popularized in January 2021 after a 21-year old Gen Z TikToker criticized Millennial parents for allowing excessive screen time for their children, saying "I need everyone else in my generation to promise that we are not going to raise 'iPad children.' ... You've been shoving media and screens in these kids' faces since birth." He concludes: "Gen Z isn’t allowed to raise iPad kids." The viral video garnered more than 525 million views on TikTok. |
"That iPad kid went ballistic in the restaurant after his mom took his iPad away." |
[75][76][77][78][79][80][81][82][83] | |
| It's giving | Describe the attitude or connotation of something or someone. Can also be used to give general admiration toward something. | Exact origin unknown. A possible start was with influencer Rolling Ray, a Black disabled gay man who repeatedly used the phrase in a 2019 appearance on Divorce Court. According to The Atlantic, the phrase was derived from Black and Brown ball culture. The phrase was heavily popularized in 2020 on Twitter was further popularized by a November 2022 article by Paper which used the phrase in the title of an article detailing Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello's breakup. | "It's giving yuck."
"Your makeup today is giving." "It's giving millennial." |
It's giving very much, It's very much giving | [84][85] |
| Iykyk | Acronym for "If you know, you know." Used to describe inside jokes. | Defined in Urban Dictionary in 2016. Became a popular hashtag on TikTok in 2019. | "I'm not saying this, but well....iykyk." | If you know, you know | [86] |
| Jit | A younger person, usually used as an insult against someone who is seen as inexperienced. | Defined on Urban Dictionary in 2004, popularized on TikTok in late 2023. | "Sit down, jit."
"These jits don't know who they're messing with." |
[87] | |
| Karen | Pejorative term often describing an obnoxious, angry, or entitled White woman. | Originated among Black people to refer to an unreasonable White woman. The term became popular on Black Twitter as a meme used to describe White women who "tattle on Black kids' lemonade stands." | "Okay, stop being a Karen." | Karen haircut/cut | [88][89][90][91] |
| Lit | Colloquially: "Enlightened", "Hot", "Fire." The new hotness; something remarkable, interesting, fun or amusing. Generally positive. | Semantically the same as cool of earlier generations, but contradicts the former's normative semantics. | "That party was lit!" | Litty, Fire | [92] |
| Main character | Used to describe someone who is or wants to be the star of their own life. Often used to refer to someone who wants to be the center of attention. | Popularized by a TikTok video in May 2020 of someone jokingly singing and dancing about being the "main character" of their neighborhood. | "She thinks she's the main character."
"Driving with the windows down has main character energy." |
Main character energy | [93][94] |
| Mew | A pseudoscientific method to restructure someone's jawline by pressing their tongue to the roof of their mouth. | Originally coined by controversial British dentist, John Mew, and his son, Mike. The term became popular in the late 2010's and on TikTok. | "Sorry, can't talk! I'm trying to learn how to mew." | Mewing | [95][96][97] |
| Mid | Labeling something as average or not special. Sometimes used in a negative or insulting way. | Originally used in 20th and 21st-century cannabis culture to describe mid-tier or low-quality marijuana. The term became popular on TikTok in the early 2020s. | "That movie was so mid." | [98] | |
| Moot/Moots | Short for "mutuals" or "mutual followers." | "I only let my moots reply to my posts." | [99][100] | ||
| Netflix and chill
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