Gen Z slang: 52 words and phrases, with meanings and examples
Gen Z slang is the informal English of people born roughly between 1997 and 2012, spread mostly through TikTok, Instagram and gaming. The words you will hear most are “slay” (do something brilliantly), “no cap” (no lie), “bet” (OK), “mid” (average), “sus” (suspicious), “delulu” (unrealistic) and “rizz” (charm). Here are 52 terms grouped by use, with a meaning and an example for each, plus common text abbreviations and advice on when a learner should, and should not, use them.
By The YoFluent teamUpdated 8 min read
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Words for something good (12)
| Slang | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| slay | do something extremely well; look great | “You slayed that presentation.” |
| ate (and left no crumbs) | did it perfectly | “Her outfit? She ate.” |
| bussin’ | delicious, very good (usually food) | “This biryani is bussin’.” |
| fire | excellent | “That song is fire.” |
| hits different | feels better than usual | “Chai on a rainy day hits different.” |
| it’s giving… | it has the feeling or style of… | “It’s giving holiday vibes.” |
| main character energy | acting like the hero of your own film; confident | “Walking in with sunglasses: main character energy.” |
| understood the assignment | did exactly what was needed, very well | “The designer understood the assignment.” |
| W | a win, something good | “Free pizza at work? Big W.” |
| valid | reasonable, acceptable | “Skipping the party to sleep is valid.” |
| aura | how cool or impressive someone seems | “Staying calm in that interview was huge aura.” |
| glow up | a big improvement in looks or life | “She had a total glow up after school.” |
Words for something bad or awkward (12)
| Slang | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| mid | average, not good | “The film was mid.” |
| L | a loss, something bad | “Missed the bus again. Huge L.” |
| cringe | embarrassing, awkward | “His dance was so cringe.” |
| sus | suspicious | “That link looks sus.” |
| cooked | in trouble, with no chance | “Exam tomorrow and I haven’t studied. I’m cooked.” |
| the ick | sudden feeling of dislike for someone | “He chewed so loudly, I got the ick.” |
| red flag | a warning sign about someone | “He never says sorry. Red flag.” |
| salty | annoyed or bitter | “He’s still salty about losing.” |
| extra | too much, over the top | “Balloons for a Tuesday meeting? That’s extra.” |
| basic | ordinary, following popular trends | “Pumpkin coffee in October is so basic.” |
| brain rot | low-quality online content, or what too much of it does to you | “Two hours of short videos. Total brain rot.” |
| NPC | someone who acts without thinking for themselves (from video games) | “He just repeats what everyone says, like an NPC.” |
Words for everyday conversation (16)
| Slang | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| no cap | no lie, honestly | “Best exam result I’ve ever had, no cap.” |
| cap | a lie | “You ran 10 km? Cap.” |
| bet | OK, deal, yes | “Meet at six?” “Bet.” |
| fr (for real) | seriously, I agree | “This weather is awful.” “Fr.” |
| lowkey | a little, secretly | “I lowkey want to stay home.” |
| highkey | very, openly | “I highkey love this song.” |
| vibe | a feeling or mood; to get along | “This café has a good vibe.” |
| spill the tea | tell the gossip | “What happened at the party? Spill the tea.” |
| rent free | you can’t stop thinking about it | “That song lives in my head rent free.” |
| delulu | unrealistic, believing something unlikely (from delusional) | “I’m delulu enough to think I’ll finish this tonight.” |
| era | a phase of your life | “I’m in my gym era.” |
| touch grass | go outside, spend less time online | “You’ve been gaming for ten hours. Touch grass.” |
| rizz | charm, skill at flirting (Oxford Word of the Year 2023) | “He’s got so much rizz.” |
| situationship | a romantic relationship without a clear label | “We’re not dating, it’s a situationship.” |
| crash out | lose control, react badly | “Don’t crash out over one bad grade.” |
| unc | an older person who seems out of touch (from uncle) | “You don’t know this song? OK, unc.” |
Text and chat abbreviations (12)
| Abbreviation | Means |
|---|---|
| ngl | not gonna lie |
| tbh | to be honest |
| idk | I don’t know |
| iykyk | if you know, you know |
| ong | on God (= I swear) |
| bffr | be for real (= be serious) |
| smh | shaking my head (= disappointment) |
| ikr | I know, right? |
| imo | in my opinion |
| rn | right now |
| nvm | never mind |
| ttyl | talk to you later |
Should English learners use Gen Z slang?
Understanding it is very useful: you will meet it in comments, videos and conversations with younger people. Using it is riskier, because slang only sounds natural from the right person in the right group.
- Safe for most people: vibe, lowkey, fire, W / L, no cap, fr. They have spread far beyond Gen Z.
- Use with friends your age: slay, ate, it’s giving, delulu, cooked, the ick.
- Mostly understand, don’t use: unc, NPC (can sound insulting), rizz in serious conversation.
- Never in exams, emails or interviews. “The results were mid” will cost you marks in an IELTS essay.
Slang also ages fast: “lit” and “on fleek” sounded current a few years ago and now sound dated. We re-check this list regularly.
Related guides
For older and wider slang, see English slang words and British slang. For expressions that never go out of date, read English idioms and phrasal verbs.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common Gen Z slang words?
Slay (do something brilliantly), no cap (no lie), bet (OK), mid (average), sus (suspicious), lowkey (a little), it’s giving (it feels like), delulu (unrealistic), rizz (charm) and cooked (in trouble).
What does no cap mean?
“No cap” means “no lie” or “I’m being honest”: “That was the best concert ever, no cap.” “Cap” on its own means a lie: “You finished the whole book in a day? Cap.”
What does rizz mean?
Rizz means charm, especially the ability to attract someone romantically. It comes from “charisma”, and Oxford University Press chose it as its Word of the Year in 2023.
What does delulu mean?
Delulu is short for “delusional”. It describes believing something unrealistic, often said as a joke about yourself: “I’m delulu enough to think I’ll wake up at 5 a.m.”
What does it mean when someone says you ate?
“You ate” (or “ate and left no crumbs”) is praise: you did something perfectly, such as a performance, an outfit or an answer.
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- Rizz is Oxford’s word of the year for 2023, NPR
- Generation Z, Wikipedia