Top 100+ Gen Z Slang Terms

Welcome to the World of Gen Z Lingo!

Hey there! Ever felt like you're decoding a secret language when chatting with younger folks or scrolling through social media? Don't worry—you're not alone. Gen Z, those born roughly between 1997 and 2012, have crafted a vibrant and ever-evolving slang that's taken over platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter.

If you're trying to sound fluent in English or just want to keep up with how Gen Z really talks, learning some modern slang words with examples is a fun place to start! From TikTok slang words you must know like "slay," "ate," and "it’s giving," to funny slang words with definitions such as "bruh," "deadass," or "bye Felicia," this guide has you covered. These American slang words for daily use help you vibe with the culture and chat like a native. Whether you're texting, posting on social, or just hanging out, using English slang terms for chatting like "say less," "mid," or "real one" can make conversations more natural. So if you're a beginner, don't worry—we’ve got Gen Z slang explained for beginners with cool words teens use in 2025 that are totally must-know slang words for conversations. Learning social media slang 2025 is more than trendy—it’s your key to speaking English confidently and casually.

But guess what? Learning this lingo isn't just for the young—it's for anyone who wants to connect, understand, and maybe even have a little fun along the way. So, let's dive into the world of Gen Z slang together!

Why Should You Learn Gen Z Slang?

Understanding Gen Z slang can:

• Bridge Generational Gaps: Communicate more effectively with younger family members, friends, or colleagues.
• Stay Culturally Relevant: Keep up with trending topics, memes, and online conversations.
• Enhance Social Media Engagement: Craft relatable content that resonates with a younger audience.
• Boost Confidence: Feel more in-the-know and less like you're missing out (no FOMO here!).

Gen Z Dictionary for Beginners

#	Slang Term	Meaning	Example
1	Rizz	Charisma; ability to attract others	"He's got major rizz!"
2	Bussin'	Really good or delicious	"This cake is bussin'!"
3	No Cap	No lie; being honest	"That movie was amazing, no cap."
4	Sus	Suspicious	"That story sounds sus."
5	Slay	Do something really well	"You slayed that outfit!"
6	Yeet	To throw with force / excitement	"He yeeted the ball."
7	Lit	Amazing, exciting	"The party was lit!"
8	Flex	Show off	"Posting that car is a flex."
9	Ghost	Disappear or ignore someone	"He ghosted me after one date."
10	Stan	Support someone strongly	"I stan Taylor Swift!"
11	Bet	Agreement or challenge	"You coming? Bet!"
12	Lowkey	Secretly or mildly	"I lowkey love that show."
13	Highkey	Not secret at all	"I highkey want that pizza now."
14	Fire	Very good or cool	"That song is fire!"
15	Drip	Stylish outfit or look	"Check out his drip!"
16	Main Character	Acting like the center of attention	"She’s giving main character vibes."
17	FOMO	Fear of Missing Out	"I’m going, I’ve got FOMO."
18	Simp	Overly affectionate or submissive	"He’s simping hard for her."
19	L	A loss or failure	"That was an L."
20	W	A win or success	"That’s a big W for you!"
21	Cap	Lie or false	"That’s cap. You didn’t do that."
22	Ratio	Outnumbered in likes or replies	"You got ratioed on Twitter."
23	Vibe	Mood or feeling	"This song is such a vibe."
24	GOAT	Greatest of All Time	"Messi is the GOAT."
25	Periodt	Emphasizing a point	"That’s the truth. Periodt."
26	Bop	A catchy song	"That new track is a bop."
27	Snatched	Looking amazing	"Your waist is snatched!"
28	Salty	Bitter or annoyed	"He’s salty about losing."
29	Mood	Totally relatable feeling	"That meme is a mood."
30	Shook	Shocked or surprised	"I’m shook right now!"
31	Dead	Laughing hard	"That joke had me dead!"
32	Sksksk	Laughing or expressing excitement	"Sksksk I can’t!"
33	Aesthetic	Visually pleasing style	"That Insta feed is so aesthetic."
34	V	Very (short form)	"I’m v tired today."
35	Cringe	Embarrassing	"His dance was so cringe."
36	Cancelled	No longer supported	"She’s cancelled after that post."
37	Extra	Over the top	"She’s so extra at parties."
38	Hits Different	Feels unique or special	"This song hits different at night."
39	Dank	Cool or high quality (mostly memes)	"That’s a dank meme."
40	Big Yikes	Extreme embarrassment	"He slipped in front of everyone. Big yikes!"
41	Ship	Want two people to be together	"I ship them!"
42	Tea	Gossip	"Spill the tea!"
43	Clap Back	A sharp reply	"She clapped back hard."
44	Glow Up	Amazing transformation	"She had a serious glow up."
45	Thirsty	Desperate for attention	"He’s acting real thirsty."
46	Vibe Check	Mood test	"He failed the vibe check."
47	Hype	Excited or popular	"That game is so hyped."
48	Drag	Call someone out	"She dragged him online."
49	POV	Point of view (often on TikTok)	"POV: You’re late for class."
50	Zaddy	Stylish, attractive older man	"He’s a total zaddy."
51	Boujee	Fancy, high-class	She’s so boujee with her designer bags.
52	Finna	Going to (fixing to)	I’m finna eat.
53	Say Less	I get it / understood	You want pizza? Say less!
54	OK Boomer	Dismissive phrase to older generation	You still use Facebook? OK Boomer.
55	Vibing	Feeling good, relaxed	Just vibing on a Sunday.
56	Karen	Entitled, demanding person (usually middle-aged woman)	She asked to speak to the manager. Total Karen!
57	Slaps	Amazing (used for music, food)	This beat slaps!
58	Dank	Really cool (especially memes)	That’s a dank edit.
59	Cap	Lie or falsehood	"He said he ran 10 miles—big cap!"
60	Boomer	Person from baby boomer generation	My boomer uncle doesn’t get memes.
61	Clap	Applaud or criticize	The crowd clapped loud. He got clapped online.
62	Chill	Relax or calm down	Let’s chill this weekend.
63	Dragged	Criticized harshly	She got dragged on Twitter.
64	Stan Account	Fan social media profile	That’s a BTS stan account.
65	It’s Giving	Used to describe vibes	It’s giving boss energy.
66	Main Character Energy	Confidence and presence	She’s walking like she owns the place—main character energy!
67	Touch Grass	Go outside / take a break from the internet	Bro, touch grass.
68	Real One	Loyal or genuine person	Thanks for being a real one.
69	Flex	Show off	"He’s always flexing his new watch."
70	ATE	Did something extremely well	She ATE that performance!
71	Mid	Mediocre / average	That movie was mid.
72	Pick Me	Someone who begs for attention	He’s such a pick me boy.
73	Spill	Share information or drama	Spill, what happened last night?
74	Szn	Season	It’s hot girl szn!
75	Girlboss	Confident, successful woman	She quit her job to start a business—total girlboss!
76	Hundo P	100% certain	I’m hundo P in!
77	Drag Him	Expose someone	She really dragged him for cheating.
78	Deadass	Seriously	I’m deadass about to leave.
79	Bye Felicia	Dismiss someone unimportant	She was being rude so I said, ‘Bye Felicia!’
80	Period	Final word / end of story	I’m right and that’s it. Period.
81	Cray	Crazy	That rollercoaster was cray!
82	Hits	Something effective or emotional	This song hits hard.
83	Delulu	Delusional in a funny or playful way	"He thinks she likes him? He’s delulu."
84	Bruh	Expression of disbelief	Bruh, seriously?
85	Facts	Agreeing with truth	You need sleep—facts!
86	On Fleek	Perfect, especially eyebrows	Your brows are on fleek!
87	I’m Weak	Laughing a lot	I’m weak after watching that video!
88	Vaxxed	Vaccinated	I’m fully vaxxed.
89	Finsta	Fake Instagram account	That’s her finsta where she posts silly stuff.
90	Snacc	Attractive person	He’s looking like a whole snacc today.
91	Gassed	Overconfident or hyped up	He’s gassed about his new shoes.
92	Dragged Me	Called me out / criticized	She dragged me for being late.
93	I’m Screaming	Very funny	That meme—I’m screaming!
94	Real Talk	Speaking honestly	Let’s have a real talk moment.
95	Say Less	Message understood	You want boba? Say less.
96	Soft Launch	Subtle post to reveal relationship	Did she just soft launch a boyfriend?
97	Sending Me	So funny it affects you	That TikTok is sending me!
98	Ate and Left No Crumbs	Did it perfectly	She ate that performance and left no crumbs!
99	It’s Giving...	Description of vibe	It’s giving 90s pop star.
100	Hits Different	Feels especially meaningful or intense	"That song hits different at night."
101	ICYMI	In Case You Missed It	ICYMI: Taylor dropped a new song.
102	Real One	True friend	You helped me through a lot—you’re a real one.
103	Glowed Up	Became more attractive	She glowed up over summer!
104	I Can’t Even	Overwhelmed or speechless	I can’t even with this drama.
105	Highkey	Openly or obviously	"I highkey want that dress."
106	Thirsty	Desperate for attention	"She’s posting a lot lately—kinda thirsty."
107	Ghost	Suddenly cut off communication	"He ghosted me after one date."
108	Receipts	Proof or evidence	"I’ve got receipts of him lying."
109	Savage	Bold, ruthless, or fierce	"That comeback was savage!"
110	Bet	Okay or agree	"You coming tonight?" — "Bet."
111	Simp	Someone who does too much for someone they like	"He buys her gifts daily—total simp."
112	Yeet	Throw something with force or excitement	"He just yeeted the ball across the field."
113	Glow Up	Major transformation in appearance	"She had a serious glow up after high school."
114	Fire	Really good or cool	"That new album is fire!"
115	Skrrt	Sound or act of leaving quickly	"That was awkward—I had to skrrt out of there."
116	L	Loss or failure	"I missed my flight—took a big L."
117	W	Win or success	"Got the job—major W!"
118	Bop	Catchy song	"That track is a bop!"

Incorporating Gen Z Slang into Your Vocabulary 

Here are some tips to naturally incorporate these terms: 

• Start Small: Pick a few terms that resonate with you and try using them in appropriate contexts. 
• Listen and Learn: Pay attention to how Gen Z individuals use these terms in conversations or online. 
• Practice Makes Perfect: Don't be afraid to make mistakes; language learning is a process. 
• Stay Updated: Slang evolves rapidly. Follow social media trends to keep your knowledge fresh.