List of Generation Z slang

This is a list of slang terminology used by Generation Z, or those born roughly between the mid-late 1990s to the early 2010s in the Western world.

Generation Z slang differs significantly from slang terminology of prior generations in history in that Gen Z was the first generation to grow up entirely within the internet age. Due to this, much of their slang originates from online media such as social media apps like TikTok, YouTube, or Twitch. The ease of communication that comes with the internet also results in their slang being proliferated to a greater and swifter extent.[1]

Much of Gen Z slang today was not termed by members of the generation itself but rather were terms already in use by certain communities. In many cases, Gen Z slang is derived from African-American vernacular English and LGBTQ+ slang.[1] This has led to accusations of cultural appropriation.[2]

List
Slang Term[3][4][5][6] Definition Origin Variations References
@me Pronounced "at me." Used on social media when someone feels attacked by a post. Became used on social media sites that allow pinging. Don't @ me, at me. [5]
Asl Shortened version of "as hell." The "as hell" definition stems from TikTok. as hell [7]
Bang 30s To get in a physical altercation with someone. Bang 30, bang 30's [5]
Based Originally meaning "to be your self 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. Initially African-American vernacular for being addicted or acting as if one was addicted to crack cocaine. Redefined by rapper Lil B, who used it to refer to his rapping style. Based and redpilled[lower-alpha 1] [8]
Beat your face To apply makeup to the face. Originated in the 1970s. Became popular around 2015 from makeup influencers on social media. Beat[lower-alpha 2] [9][10]
Bet Yes, ok, "it's on." Derived from non-slang bet (to bet on something). Originated in its current form from African-American vernacular and campus slang. [11]
Big mad Term used to describe when someone is excessively angry. Gained popularity in 2017 [12]
Big yikes Used to describe something embarrassing or cringey, particularly in response to an offensive comment. Gained popularity in 2017 [12][13]
Body count A euphemism for how many people one has had sex with. Initially referred to specifically sexual intercourse, but was expanded to include all forms of sex. Derived from the formal version of the word, which means 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. Bodycount [14][15][16][17]
Bop A good song or album. Derived form the Jazz tradition of singing with nonsense words such as bebop and rebop. Banger [18]
Boujee A high-class/materialistic person. 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. Bougie [19]
Bussin' Used to describe good food Originated from African-American vernacular as a way of complimenting good food. Became popular in the early 2020s. Bussin [20]
Bussy Meaning "Boy Pussy". It is associated with Femboy culture Portmanteau of 'Boy' (a young male) and 'Pussy' (slang for Vagina). See also: -ussy B-Puss [21]
Cap A lie African-American vernacular slang. Spread via rap. Capping, Straight Cap, No Cap[lower-alpha 3]
Catch these hands Used to threaten someone with a fist fight Undetermined origin these hands[lower-alpha 4] [22]
Cheugy Derogatory term for Millennials. Used when millennials are perceived to be excessively attempting to be trendy or stylish. According to New York Times author Taylor Lorenz, it stemmed from a Beverly Hills High School student in 2013. Proliferated via a TikTok by Hallie Cain in 2021. [23][24]
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 disstrack 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. Clap back. [25]
Cringe A response to embarrassment or social awkwardness See the full etymology on Wiktionary. Cringing, cringy
Dank Used to describe a good 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 version stems from 2013 on messageboards such as Reddit and 4chan, where it was used to characterize memes so terrible, they became good. Dank meme [26]
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. Dead, 💀, 😂 [27][28]
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." Drippy [29]
Facts The truth or stating something, which people agree on. Popularized in 2017 Fax [30]
Fr Abbreviation for "For real" used in agreement. Gained popularity in 2022. [31]
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. Popularized (and possibly coined) by rapper Chief Keef in his 2013 single, Gotta Glo Up One Day. Glo up [32]
G.O.A.T Abbreviation for greatest of all time. When Muhammad Ali nicknamed himself "The greatest" Goated
Goated with the sauce To be a "beast" or "baller". Originally from a tweet by Twitter user @minga__: "quirked up white boy with a little bit of swag busts it down sexual style ... is he goated with the sauce?" GOATed with the sauce [33][34]
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. [35][36][37]
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." Went viral in March 2019 as an internet meme and became associated with VSCO girls. And I Oop [38]
It's giving… Describe the attitude or connotation of something or someone. Exact origin unknown. A possible start was with influencer Rolling Ray, a disabled gay man who repeatedly used the phrase in a 2019 appearance on Divorce Court. According to The Atlantic's Araki Koman, the phrase was derived from ball culture. The phrase was heavily popularized in 2020 on Twitter was further popularized by a November 2022 article by Paper mag which used the phrase in the title of an article detailing Shaun Mendes's and Camila Cabello's breakup. It's giving very much, It's very much giving [39][40][41]
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. If you know, you know [42][43]
Jit Used to address someone. Created and popularized by online personality BankrollDyl in 2021 on TikTok and YouTube. Nah jit trippin, Ay jit [44]
Let him cook Let one plan something. Popularized in late 2022 (mostly 2023), originated in July 2010 "Hold on, wait a minute.." "They're on to something clever"
L+Ratio Insult used primarily online. Combined form of the L and ratio slang terms. Became popular in 2020 l+ratio+(other insult, usually the phrase "get some bitches") [45]
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. Lit, Litty, Fire
Mid Of something to be average/mediocre First used in cannabis culture to describe mid-tier marijuana. It was first added to Urban Dictionary on January 15, 2004. The term began to be used outside of the cannabis community in 2019 on Twitter, before garnering major popularity in September 2021 due to several tweets that used the term to describe the album Certified Lover Boy by rapper Drake. The term was further proliferated by a TikTok featuring AEW wrestler Maxwell Jacob Friedman using the term to insult the Midwest.[lower-alpha 5] [46]
Not you Used to condemn or poke fun at someone or something. Gained popularity in 2021 Not y'all doing the griddy, not them lokking like that, not him/her looking like a bug, not me[lower-alpha 6] [47][48]
NPC Someone who cannot think for themselves and/or has no or little control over their own life. Someone that is ready to agree with popular opinion unquestioningly and always believes what they are told. Gullible First gained popularity in late 2018 around the United States Midterm elections, where it was frequently used by supporters of then U.S president Donald Trump to mock his opponents. It experienced a resurgence in popularity again in 2022 via TikTok. Originates from non-player characters in video games which can only be interacted with in limited ways and have static, preprogrammed behaviors controlled by the game's developer. Non playable Character[lower-alpha 7] [49]
OK Boomer Derogatory term directed towards Baby Boomers. Used as a response when boomers are deemed to be out of touch with younger generations. First recorded use dates back to January 29, 2009, comment on Reddit and appeared in 4chan in 2015. Gained widespread popularity in response to a 2019 rant by an unidentified man on TikTok, where he criticized younger generations. Okay Boomer [50][51][52][53]
On god Short for "I swear to god." Means that a person's statement is honest. In use in the internet since the early 2000s. Google search data reveals that there was a peak of the term's usage in March 2005 for unknown reasons. The term was first defined on Urban Dictionary on December 13, 2008. The term began to receive significant usage on Twitter beginning in later 2013 and early 2014. Beginning in 2019, the term began used in image macro memes due to its overuse on several pages. ong
Periodt Used to add emphasis to something Stems from Southern Black Gay English. Spread in the 2010s via the Miami City Girls rap duo. Entered into the mainstream in 2019, in part due to Black Twitter. The T is based on a common trend in black English where T is used as a replacement for D. Period, Period't [54]
Rent free To be constantly thinking or upset about something. First used by Eppie Lederer (penname: Ann Landers), who coined the term sometime in the late 20th century. Earliest known internet usage dates back to May 19, 2010, on the Pithless Thoughts Blogspot. On August 28, 2017, it was posted again on Nairaland. Gradually spread through Twitter. Living rent free
Rizz One's courtship/seduction skills Coined by Twitch streamer Kai Cenat in mid-2021. Subsequently garnered virality on TikTok. Adolf Rizzler,[lower-alpha 8] Rizzed, Rizzing, W Rizz,[lower-alpha 9] V Rizz,[lower-alpha 10] L Rizz,[lower-alpha 11] Unspoken rizz[lower-alpha 12] [56]
Sheesh To praise someone when they are doing something good. The one being praised is to do the "ice in my veins" pose popularized by Basketball player D'Angelo Russell. Believed to be a variation of another word such as "jeez," "Jesus," or "shit." First used in 1955 as a word to express "disappointment, annoyance or surprise." [4][57][58]
Simp Sycophancy, being overly affectionate in pursuit of a sexual relationship. Originally short for simpleton; first used to describe those who were "soft" and "overly affectionate" in the 1980s by West coast rappers. Adopted by the manosphere community before trickling its way into TikTok. Simping [59]
Sksksk Used to convey happiness/laughter Earliest known usage is by Brazilian users on Twitter. Used by various British, African-American, and gay communities before becoming associated with stan Twitter in 2019. Became associated with VSCO girls. [60][61]
Slaps Used to refer to something that is perceived to be good. Used in the 18th century to refer to "excellence," and in the 19th century for something that was "first rate." Was first applied to music in the early 2000s. Slap [62]
Snatched Used to refer to something that is perceived to be good. i.e. something is so good it snatched your wig right off. If it does that it's snatched. Snatched [63]
Stan Supporting something. Specifically used in cases to the idolatry support of personalities. Derived from the 2000 song of the same name by Eminem. Stanning [64]
Sus Short for suspect/suspicious. Popularized in 2018 by players of the game Among Us and received mainstream usage with the game's explosion in popularity in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Oxford, the term has been in use amongst English speakers since at least the 1950s, with its law enforcement origins dating back to the 1930s. Sussy, Sussy Baka[lower-alpha 13] [65]
Tea Gossiping (spilling the tea) Originates from Black drag culture of the 1990s. Was used to refer to one's "hidden truth." T, that's tea [66][40]
Touch grass Used to tell someone to get in touch with reality; telling them to go outside. Originated from the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, limiting social interaction to digital communication [67]
Understood the assignment To understand what was supposed to be done; to do something well Popularized by American rapper Tay Money's 2021 song The Assignment. She posted a video on TikTok stating that she "understood the assignment." [68][69]
Valid Acceptable TikTok [70]
Vibe check To check one's personality or attitude First defined in an Urban Dictionary post on April 18, 2011. Remained largely obscure until a sudden uptick of usage on Twitter in 2019. [71]
Vibing Having a nonchalant attitude; to chill Derived from the Hippie movement of the 1960s to describe people who were "in vibration" with the universe. Vibes, Vibe [72]
Wig To do something so well as to "make one's wig fly off." Originated from Black LGBT ballroom culture. American singer Katy Perry is generally credited with propagating the word into the mainstream after using it compliment a contestant on American Idol in 2018. [73]

Notes
  1. Used in praise of controversial opinions. Often used by political communities, especially right-wing ones.
  2. More general version that includes areas outside the face.
  3. Used to highlight honesty
  4. Predecessor phrase that was in use since the 1960s.
  5. Friedman used the term as a play on the word Midwestern, stating that "it's called Midwest because every single thing in it is mid."
  6. Self-deprecating version
  7. Self-deprecating version
  8. Used to describe someone who will do anything to rizz someone up, based on Adolf Hitler.
  9. Used to describe excellent rizzing skills
  10. Denotes mid-tier rizz
  11. Describes poor rizzing skills
  12. Used to describe when one's rizz is to a level where they can seduce a potential partner without saying a word. This is manifested via the "unspoken rizz gesture," where males either sarcastically or seriously just wave to females.[55]
  13. Combination of sussy and baka, the latter being the Japanese word for "fool." Stemmed from TikToker Akeam Francis.

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