Welcome to the Slangpedia entry on Gen Z & Teen Slang!🧒
Navigating the fast-paced world of Gen Z lingo? Whether you’re trying to understand today’s youth, drafting a contemporary story, or just captivated by the dynamic language of the TikTok era, it’s fascinating to dive into the slang terms, words, and their meanings from the generation of memes, viral challenges, and digital natives. So, without further ado, here’s our extensive guide showcasing a curated list of trending Gen Z and teen slang, phrases, and terms that resonate with today’s youth:
Lit
- Meaning: Amazing, cool, or exciting.
- Origin: Shortened form of “lit up”, suggesting brightness or excitement.
- Usage: “That party was lit!”
Bet
- Meaning: Agreement or confirmation.
- Origin: Short for “You bet” or “You betcha”.
- Usage: “Wanna hang out later?” “Bet.”
Ghost
- Meaning: To suddenly cut off communication without explanation.
- Origin: Just like a ghost, the person is there one minute and gone the next.
- Usage: “He didn’t text back for weeks. I think he ghosted me.”
Cap / No Cap
- Meaning: Lying / Telling the truth.
- Origin: “Cap” is derived from the metaphorical use of the word to mean “lie”.
- Usage: “He said he met a celebrity? That’s cap.” / “I genuinely love that movie, no cap.”
Flex
- Meaning: To show off.
- Origin: A flexing muscle indicating strength or superiority.
- Usage: “He’s just flexing his new shoes.”
Lowkey
- Meaning: Something done subtly or secretly; to a small degree.
- Origin: Opposite of highkey; suggesting a subdued or quiet manner.
- Usage: “I lowkey want to skip school today.”
Highkey
- Meaning: Very or to a high degree.
- Origin: Opposite of lowkey; indicating something is intense or extreme.
- Usage: “I highkey love this song.”
Clout
- Meaning: Fame or influence, especially on social media.
- Origin: Originally meant a heavy blow or influence. Its use changed with the rise of social media.
- Usage: “She’s only doing that for clout.”
Stan
- Meaning: An obsessed fan.
- Origin: Portmanteau of “stalker” and “fan” and inspired by Eminem’s song titled “Stan”.
- Usage: “I stan her music so hard.”
Salty
- Meaning: Being bitter or angry.
- Origin: Draws a parallel with the sharpness and sometimes unpleasant taste of salt.
- Usage: “Why are you so salty today?”
Sksksk
- Meaning: An interjection used to convey surprise, happiness, or other intense emotions.
- Origin: Comes from the sound made when someone smashes their keyboard.
- Usage: “Sksksk, that was unexpected.”
Yeet
- Meaning: An exclamation of excitement or a verb meaning to throw something.
- Origin: Popularized by a Vine video.
- Usage: “She yeeted the ball across the field.”
On Fleek
- Meaning: Perfectly done, stylish.
- Origin: Popularized by a Vine video where a user described her eyebrows as “on fleek”.
- Usage: “Your makeup is on fleek today!”
Basic
- Meaning: Mainstream or unoriginal.
- Origin: Referring to something as plain or lacking distinctive features.
- Usage: “That pumpkin spice latte is so basic.”
FOMO
- Meaning: Fear of missing out.
- Origin: An acronym derived from the phrase “Fear of missing out”.
- Usage: “I have serious FOMO, so I’m going to the concert.”
Snack
- Meaning: Someone who looks good or attractive.
- Origin: Just like a snack is a small meal, the person is a “treat” to look at.
- Usage: “Have you seen him? He’s a snack!”
Cancelled
- Meaning: To reject or disapprove of someone due to their actions or opinions.
- Origin: Derives from the action of cancelling someone’s “show” or popularity.
- Usage: “After those tweets, he’s cancelled.”
Woke
- Meaning: Being aware of social and political issues.
- Origin: African American Vernacular English, suggesting waking up to issues.
- Usage: “You need to stay woke in today’s world.”
Bop
- Meaning: A catchy song.
- Origin: Represents the beat or rhythm of a song.
- Usage: “This is a bop!”
Shade
- Meaning: Disrespect or a subtle insult.
- Origin: As if casting a shadow over someone’s reputation or character.
- Usage: “She threw shade at him during the meeting.”
T
- Meaning: Truth or gossip.
- Origin: Short for “truth” or “tea”.
- Usage: “What’s the T?”
GOAT
- Meaning: Greatest of all time.
- Origin: An acronym derived from the phrase “Greatest Of All Time”.
- Usage: “LeBron James is the GOAT.”
Mood
- Meaning: Represents agreement or relatability to a situation.
- Origin: Shortened form of the phrase “That’s a mood”.
- Usage: “Sleeping all day? Mood.”
Slaps
- Meaning: Refers to something, usually music, that’s really good.
- Origin: The idea that the beat “hits” or “slaps” hard.
- Usage: “This song slaps.”
Periodt
- Meaning: Emphasizing a point, similar to saying “end of story”.
- Origin: A stylized and emphatic version of “period”.
- Usage: “She’s the best, periodt.”
Thirsty
- Meaning: Desperate for attention.
- Origin: Like someone in need of a drink, but in this context, in need of attention.
- Usage: “Why’s he acting so thirsty on Instagram?”
Finna
- Meaning: About to.
- Origin: Contraction of “fixing to”.
- Usage: “I’m finna go to the store.”
Sus
- Meaning: Suspicious.
- Origin: Short for “suspicious”.
- Usage: “That deal sounds a bit sus.”
Glow up
- Meaning: A transformation for the better.
- Origin: Evolving and “glowing” like a light.
- Usage: “She had a major glow up since high school.”
I’m dead
- Meaning: That’s hilarious or shocking.
- Origin: The idea being something is so funny or surprising it could figuratively kill you.
- Usage: “That meme is too funny, I’m dead.”
And I oop
- Meaning: Expression of surprise or embarrassment.
- Origin: Became popular from a viral video of drag queen Jasmine Masters.
- Usage: “I forgot my wallet at home, and I oop.”
Secure the bag
- Meaning: To achieve a goal or get paid.
- Origin: Refers to obtaining a bag of money.
- Usage: “Got a promotion at work. Secured the bag!”
Spill the tea
- Meaning: Share the gossip or news.
- Origin: Tea here stands for “truth”. The phrase means to pour out or reveal the truth.
- Usage: “Come on, spill the tea. What did she say?”
Rn
- Meaning: Right now.
- Origin: Abbreviation of the words “right now”.
- Usage: “I can’t talk rn.”
Chill
- Meaning: Relax or calm down.
- Origin: Derived from the cooling or calming sensation of the word “chill”.
- Usage: “Just chill, everything will be okay.”
Shook
- Meaning: Surprised, shocked or deeply affected by something.
- Origin: A more emphatic term for “shaken up”.
- Usage: “I watched the movie and I was completely shook.”
Fam
- Meaning: Friends, or one’s group. Can also mean family.
- Origin: Short for “family”.
- Usage: “What’s up, fam?”
Fire
- Meaning: Incredible, awesome or high quality.
- Origin: Just like fire is powerful and captivating, so is something that’s described as “fire”.
- Usage: “This track is fire!”
VSCO girl
- Meaning: Refers to a certain style and lifestyle adopted by individuals, often characterized by specific fashion choices, the use of metal straws, and the catchphrase “sksksk”.
- Origin: Named after the VSCO photo-editing app.
- Usage: “She’s totally a VSCO girl with that scrunchie and Hydro Flask.”
Hundo P
- Meaning: 100% or definitely.
- Origin: Short for “hundred percent”.
- Usage: “Are you going to the party?” “Hundo P!”
Gucci
- Meaning: Good or cool.
- Origin: Derived from the luxury brand Gucci, representing something of high quality.
- Usage: “Everything’s gucci.”
Extra
- Meaning: Over the top or trying too hard.
- Origin: Just as it sounds – adding more than what’s needed.
- Usage: “She’s being so extra with that outfit.”
Deadass
- Meaning: Seriously or genuinely.
- Origin: Exact origins unclear, but the term has been widely popularized in New York.
- Usage: “I’m deadass tired right now.”
That’s it for our list of Gen Z slang phrases. We hope you’ve found this exploration enlightening. As the world of slang continues to evolve, these Gen Z terms capture the essence of today’s youth. If you believe we’ve overlooked any trending slang from the Gen Z era, feel free to let us know in the comments below. Keep up with the current vibes!👍😊
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