132 Slang Words | Definitions & Examples
Language is ever-changing, and slang words are one of the clearest indicators of that. Slang is an informal vocabulary that’s common in everyday speech but should be avoided in formal writing or speaking.
Slang words develop through a combination of creativity and social influence, and they are often born out of the need for a unique form of expression within a specific group or subculture.
Slang can develop, for example, along geographical (e.g., Boston slang), generational (e.g., Gen Z slang), or sociocultural (e.g., LGBTQ+ slang) lines.
Take a breath, and take a chill pill.
If you want to learn more about slang words, try asking QuillBot’s free AI Chat.
New slang words
Many new slang words develop according to what Gen Z and Gen Alpha think is cool. Find some 2025 slang words and 2024 slang words in the table below.
| Word | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brainrot | Noun | Mental deterioration due to overconsumption of online media | Lu spent three hours scrolling TikTok, and now she has brainrot. |
| Delulu | Adjective | Delusional | If she thinks that haircut looks good, she’s delulu. |
| Let them cook | Phrase | To allow or encourage someone to pursue their own ideas or activities | He’s not the best dancer, but he’s having a great time; let him cook! |
| Lore | Noun | Backstory, context, or history | Franka’s trip to Asia is a part of her lore now. |
| Rizz | Noun | Charisma | Dan’s got rizz. |
| Mid | Adjective | Average | Everyone is obsessed with that new movie, but I thought it was just mid. |
| NPC | Noun | A boring or unaware person (comes from “non-playable character,” a background character in video games) | Don’t be an NPC—speak up! |
| Slay | Verb | To succeed in an impressive way; “to kill it” | Kara slayed that performance. |
| Yap | Verb/noun | To chat excessively; chatter or gossip | We love a bit of yap over coffee. |
| Yassify | Verb | To be made glamorous, fabulous, or fashionable in an over-the-top way | She yassified her latest profile pic so much it doesn’t even look like her. |
Since the late 17th century, “demure” has meant “shy or modest.” However, in 2024, TikTok creator Jools LeBron went viral with her videos demonstrating how to be “very demure, very mindful.”
The word then took off among TikTok users, being used with its original meaning but also to mean “cutesy,” “pretty,” or “nice.”
Slang words by generation
Youth culture is one of the most common sources of slang words. Each generation has developed their own slang, some of which has stayed in the mainstream for decades after.
Gen Alpha slang words
Generation Alpha refers to people born between 2010 and today. Growing up with tablets, TikTok, YouTube, and memes, their slang words are fast-moving, visual, and heavily influenced by gaming and online trends.
| Word | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aura/aura points | Noun | Someone’s “social credit score,” or how cool and attractive they are | Minus 100 aura for not knowing. |
| Gyat/gyatt | Noun or interjection | A large backside; expresses exclamation or admiration (deriving from “goddamn”) | Gyat, that was amazing! |
| Drip | Noun | Stylish clothing | Check out Tom’s drip today. |
| Fanum tax | Noun phrase | The obligation to share food with friends, even if you don’t want to | Bro, I’m asking for a Fanum tax for waiting so long. |
| Mew | Verb | To work to strengthen your jawline, sometimes so that you can’t speak | Can’t talk now, mewing. |
| Bussin’ | Adjective | Excellent | That pizza was bussin’! |
| Ohio | Adjective | Weird, cringy, or awkward | That guy is so Ohio. |
| Rizzler | Noun | Someone with a lot of “rizz,” or a charismatic person | She’s a total rizzler. |
| Sigma | Noun | A confident, independent person | He’s such a sigma, always doing his own thing. |
| Skibidi | Adjective (and others) | Good, bad, cool, ridiculous (“skibidi” has no inherent meaning and can be used in many ways, including as a filler word or pejorative) | That dance move was so skibidi rizz. (In this example, “skibidi” can be deduced as meaning “good,” given it’s placement next to “rizz.”) |
| Sus | Adjective | Suspicious; shady | His excuse sounds sus. |
| Yeet | Verb or interjection | To throw something with force; expresses excitement or enthusiasm (like “yes” or “woo”) | Alex yeeted the ball across the field. |
Bear in mind that you should avoid using slang words in formal writing (e.g., academic writing or cover letters).
Gen Z slang words
Generation Z refers to the cohort born between the mid-to-late 1990s and 2010. Their slang words are heavily influenced by social media and meme culture, emphasizing humor and addressing social issues, like mental health, diversity, and authenticity.
| Word | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boujee | Adjective | High-class, fancy, or extravagant (from “bourgeois”) | The hotel was so boujee, we had our own butler. |
| Cap | Noun | A lie or falsehood | Brian’s story is total cap, and I know because I was there. |
| Cheugy | Adjective | Not trendy; old-fashioned | Millennials love skinny jeans, but they’re so cheugy. |
| Dank | Adjective | Cool; high-quality | These are some dank memes. |
| Fam | Noun | Close friends or family | What’s up, fam? |
| Fire | Noun | Something impressive, cool, or great | That outfit’s fire. |
| Main character energy | Noun phrase | Feeling or acting like the center of attention | Lola’s giving main character energy today. |
| No cap | Interjection | Used to express that you’re not lying | No cap, that was hilarious. |
| Roman Empire | Noun phrase | A topic that fascinates you to the point that you’re constantly thinking about it | Pedro Pascal is my Roman Empire. |
| Send someone | Phrasal verb | To make someone laugh or react strongly | Her video is sending me! |
| Slap | Verb | To be very good, especially when referring to music | Their new song slaps. |
| Stan | Verb or noun | To obsessively support; an obsessive fan | We totally stan her style. |
- TFW: “That feeling when,” used to describe an emotion or situation
- GOAT: “Greatest of all time,” used to express that something is the best
- OOMF: “One of my friends” or, for social media, “one of my followers”
- IYKYK: “If you know you know,” used to reference an inside joke or community-specific information
90s slang words
People born between 1981 and the mid-to-late 90s are known as Millennials. Therefore, 90s slang words and millennial slang words overlap quite a bit. 90s slang was marked by MTV, hip-hop and grunge music, teen movies, and the rise of the Internet.
| Word | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boo | Noun | Significant other | That’s my boo over there. |
| Bling | Noun | Flashy jewelry, often worn to show status or wealth | He’s dripping in bling tonight. |
| Chillax | Verb | To take it easy (a portmanteau of “chill” and “relax”) | Let’s put on a movie and chillax. |
| Crib | Noun | Home or living space | Welcome to my crib! |
| Dope | Adjective | Cool | This new track is dope. |
| Fly | Adjective | Cool or stylish | Kira’s sunglasses are so fly. |
| Homie | Noun | A close friend | I’m hanging out with my homies this weekend. |
| Lame | Adjective | Uncool or boring | What a lame party. |
| The/da bomb | Adjective | Amazing | This burger is the bomb! |
| Yo | Interjection | Used to get someone’s attention or greet someone | Yo! We’re leaving! |
| Scrub | Noun | Someone insignificant; a loser | He’s just a scrub; ignore him. |
| Wack | Adjective | Uncool, strange, or not good | That movie was totally wack. |
80s slang words
80s slang words were influenced by a mix of pop culture, including music, movies, TV shows, neon fashion, and subcultures like hip-hop, goths, and Valley Girls. Generation X and older Millennials popularized 80s slang.
| Word | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Betty | Noun | Attractive woman | She’s a total betty! |
| Bite me | Interjection | Expresses that you want someone to go away or leave you alone | Bite me, I’m not doing your homework. |
| Bodacious | Adjective | Bold, impressive, or attractive | He surfed a totally bodacious wave. |
| Bounce | Verb | To leave | It’s time to bounce. |
| Dudette | Noun | The female form of “dude” | Hey, dudette, what’s up? |
| Chill pill | Noun phrase | Something to calm down | Take a chill pill; it’s not that serious. |
| Gag me with a spoon | Interjection | Expresses disgust | Gag me with a spoon! I’m not dating him! |
| No duh | Interjection | Obviously | No duh! I already knew that. |
| Rad | Adjective | Cool; awesome | That skateboard trick was rad! |
| What’s your damage? | Question | Asks someone what their problem is | What’s your damage? Why are you acting so weird? |
| Word | Interjection | Expresses agreement | Word, that’s exactly what I was thinking. |
| Tubular | Adjective | Excellent or fantastic | The concert was tubular! |
Old slang words
Slang isn’t a new phenomenon. There are plenty of old slang words from earlier eras, though many of them have fallen out of popular use by now.
| Word | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cat’s pajamas/meow | Noun phrase | The best; excellent | This car is the cat’s pajamas! |
| Cool cat | Noun | Stylish, relaxed, and confident person | Our teacher is a really cool cat. |
| Dig | Verb | To understand; to like | You dig what I’m saying? |
| Far out | Adjective phrase | Unconventional or impressive | Her artwork is far out. |
| Gigglemug | Noun | Someone who is always smiling | Daniel’s a real gigglemug. |
| Groovy | Adjective | Excellent or fashionable | Your new shoes are so groovy! |
| Jive | Noun or verb | Exaggerated or meaningless talk; to talk nonsense | Don’t give me that jive. |
| Joint | Noun | Place; establishment | Let’s head to that joint for a drink. |
| Pang-wangle | Verb | To live or go about cheerfully despite difficulties | Agatha pang-wangled her way through the tough times. |
| Square | Adjective or noun | Uncool or old-fashioned; an uncool or old-fashioned person | Don’t be such a square; let’s dance! |
Slang words by country
Each country has its own slang words, which reflect cultural nuances, humor, and unique expressions that may not make sense to outsiders.
American slang words
American English is ripe with slang words, often influenced by regional dialects, African American Vernacular English, and the country’s dynamic pop culture.
| Word | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballpark | Noun or adjective | A range or estimate; approximate | Can you give us a ballpark figure? |
| Bodega | Noun | A convenience store (in New York City) | I get a bagel and coffee from my local bodega every morning. |
| Clutch | Adjective | Performing well under pressure; happening at the right moment (usually for sports) | That play was clutch in the final minutes. |
| Fixin’ | Verb | To be about to do something (in the South) | We’re fixin’ to go home. |
| Flunk | Verb | To fail an exam or course | My brother is flunking science. |
| Mad | Adverb | Very (in the Northeast) | This pizza is mad good! |
| Janky | Adjective | Extremely bad quality | This laptop is so janky. |
| Jawn | Noun | Thing, person, or object (in Philadelphia) | Pass me that jawn on the table. |
| Pop | Noun | Carbonated soft drink (in the Midwest and North) | You want a pop? I have cola and grape. |
| Shotgun | Noun or verb | The front passenger seat in a vehicle; to drink a beer through a puncture hole in the can | I call shotgun! |
| Wasted | Adjective | Very drunk | Derek was wasted last night. |
| Wicked | Adverb | Very (in New England) | Your concert was wicked good! |
British slang words
British slang is rich with centuries of history, drawing from Cockney rhyming slang, working-class speech, and regional dialects.
| Word | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adam and Eve | Verb | To believe (Cockney rhyming slang) | Would you Adam and Eve it? |
| Bants | Noun | Banter (playful teasing) | The bants in this group are unreal. |
| Bits and bobs | Noun phrase | An odd selection of things | I have some bits and bobs in the fridge; I’ll see what I can make. |
| Bloke | Noun | Man | That bloke over there is Sarah’s brother. |
| Chuffed | Adjective | Pleased or delighted | Chris is chuffed with his exam results. |
| Daft | Adjective | Silly or foolish | Don’t do anything daft. |
| Gobsmacked | Adjective | Astonished | I was gobsmacked by the news. |
| Knacker | Verb | To tire out | The music festival knackered us. |
| Loo | Noun | Bathroom | Where’s the loo? |
| Minging | Adjective | Disgusting or unpleasant | The weather was minging. |
| Sorted | Adjective | Resolved or organized | Everything is sorted for the party tonight. |
| Skint | Adjective | Broke; out of money | Gary’s skint till payday. |
Australian slang words
Australian slang is known for shortening words, adding playful suffixes, and embracing laid-back expressions.
| Word | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arvo | Noun | Afternoon | Let’s meet in the arvo for coffee. |
| Barbie | Noun | Barbecue | The burgers are on the barbie. |
| Bogan | Noun | An unrefined or unsophisticated person | He’s a bit of a bogan. |
| Esky | Noun | Cooler | Grab a few beers from the esky. |
| Maccas | Proper noun | McDonalds | Want to swing by Maccas for lunch? |
| Oz | Proper noun | Australia | I’m heading back to Oz for Christmas. |
| Ripper | Noun or adjective | Something that’s very good; very good | That was a ripper of a game. |
| Sanger | Noun | Sandwich | We’ve packed some sangers for lunch. |
| Servo | Noun | Service station | Let’s stop to fill up at this servo. |
| Strewth | Interjection | Expresses surprise | Strewth, did you see that? |
| Tinny | Noun | Can of beer | Dale cracked open a tinny. |
| Yakka | Noun | Work, especially when physically strenuous | It’s been a hard day’s yakka. |
Irish slang words
Irish slang words, which incorporate Gaelic influences, reflect Ireland’s oral storytelling traditions, sense of humor, and expressive culture.
| Word | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Craic | Noun | Fun or entertainment | Niamh loves a bit of craic. |
| Eejit | Noun | Idiot | Stop being such an eejit. |
| Grand | Adjective | Fine or good | I’m grand, thanks for asking. |
| Yer one | Noun phrase | A specific woman | Yer one at the shop gave me the wrong change. |
| Yer man | Noun phrase | A specific man | Yer man over there said the same thing. |
| Give out | Phrasal verb | To complain or scold | Mam’s giving out because I didn’t tidy up. |
| Spanner | Noun | An idiot or annoying person (similar to a “tool”) | He’s a bit of a spanner, isn’t he? |
| Culchie | Noun | An unsophisticated person from the countryside | Aoife’s a real culchie at heart. |
| Yoke | Noun | Thing | Hand me that yoke over there. |
| Black stuff | Noun | Guinness beer | Let’s have a pint of the black stuff. |
| Lash | Verb | To rain heavily | It’s lashing outside! |
| What’s the craic? | Question | Asks someone how they are or what’s happening | Hey, what’s the craic? |
Other types of slang words
Below are some other examples of slang words, some dirty and some about money.
Funny dirty slang words
Some slang words push the boundaries of humor and propriety. These funny and dirty slang words should be avoided in formal situations.
| Word | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | Noun | Sex worker or OnlyFans creator | Vanessa is an … accountant. |
| Bellend | Noun | Annoying or foolish person; penis (British) | Don’t be such a bellend! |
| Bollocks | Noun | Nonsense; testicles (British) | That’s a load of bollocks. |
| Clap cheeks | Verb | To have sex | They were clapping cheeks last night. |
| Fanny | Noun | Butt (American); vulva (British) | She said the cycling trip hurt her fanny. |
| Thirsty | Adjective | Having or showing a sexual desire for someone | Rob’s acting so thirsty around her. |
| Smash | Verb | To have sex | He’s hoping to smash tonight. |
| Plonker | Noun | A foolish or inept person; penis (British) | He’s a right plonker. |
Slang words for money
Below are some slang words for money.
| Word | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin | Noun | A one-hundred dollar bill (American) | He has a wallet full of Benjamins. |
| Buck | Noun | A dollar (American) | This shirt only costs ten bucks. |
| Cash | Noun | Money; physical money | Do you have any cash on you? |
| Dough | Noun | Money | We’re rolling in dough after winning the lottery. |
| Fiver/tenner | Noun | A five- or ten-pound note (British) | Can you lend me a fiver? |
| Quid | Noun | A pound (British) | I bought this jacket for 15 quid. |
| Moolah | Noun | Money | Mike’s saving up some moolah for vacation. |
| Green | Noun | Money; paper currency (American) | Carter pulled out a stack of green. |
Frequently asked questions about slang words
- What are some Jamaican slang words?
-
Some Jamaican slang words are:
- Irie: “All is well” or “I’m good”
- Ya mon: “Yes” or “Yeah, man”
- Wah gwaan: “What’s up?”
- Nuff respect: “Thanks” or “I appreciate it”
- Bredda: “brother”
- Sistren: “sister”
- Pickney: “children”
- Gyal: “girl”
- Bwoy: “boy”
- Criss: “good-looking” or “new”
If you want to learn more Jamaican slang, try asking QuillBot’s free AI Chat.
- What are some text slang words?
-
Some text slang words are:
- LOL: “laugh out loud”
- LMAO: “laughing my ass off”
- IDK: “I don’t know”
- FYI: “for your information”
- FOMO: “fear of missing out”
- GOAT: “greatest of all time”
- TL;DR: “too long; didn’t read”
- AFK: “away from keyboard”
Ask QuillBot’s AI Chat if you’d like to learn more text slang words.
