Slang isn’t just about being trendy—it’s a language of its own, especially when it comes to Gen Z. From TikTok scrolls to Twitter memes and IRL convos, slang reflects identity, humor, and culture. Every year, new words explode from the internet and sneak their way into everyday life. In 2025, the language of Gen Z is snarky, playful, meme-driven, and full of vibes.
Whether you want to keep up with your students, decode TikTok comments, or just sound less like a millennial, this list of 100 current Gen Z slang words will help you get it (or at least fake it really well). Let’s dive into what’s hot in 2025👇
1. Rizz – Short for charisma; used when someone has game, especially in flirting.
“I’m telling you, that guy’s got major rizz.”
2. Delulu – Short for “delusional,” used playfully to describe wishful thinking.
“I’m so delulu thinking he’d propose after one date.”
3. Slay – To look amazing or perform excellently.
“Girl, you slayed that presentation!”
4. Ate – When someone does something flawlessly.
“She ate that performance and left no crumbs.”
5. No Cap – Used to emphasize honesty.
“No cap, that was the best burger I’ve ever had.”
6. Bet – Means “okay” or “for sure.”
“You want to hit the mall after school? Bet.”
7. Sus – Short for “suspicious,” still going strong.
“Deleting texts that fast? Super sus.”
8. Mid – Used to describe something average or disappointing.
“That new Netflix show is so mid.”
9. L – Short for “loss” or when someone takes an embarrassing hit.
“Fell off the stage during the talent show. Huge L.”
10. W – Opposite of L. Used when someone wins at life.
“She got a promotion and a free trip to Paris. W!”
11. Skibidi – From the viral “Skibidi Toilet” trend; used humorously for chaos or weird vibes.
“Bro showed up in a Pikachu onesie. Total skibidi behavior.”
12. NPC – Non-Playable Character; someone acting robotic or out of touch.
“He just stood there blinking. NPC energy.”
13. Gyatt – A comical way to react to someone’s curves; from Twitch culture.
“She walked in and everyone whispered, ‘Gyatt!'”
14. It’s Giving – Used to describe the vibe something is serving.
“That dress? It’s giving fairy princess realness.”
15. Girl Dinner – A random snacky meal thrown together.
“Chips, pickles, cheese cubes—tonight’s a total girl dinner.”
16. Corecore – A type of aesthetic TikTok content that feels artsy and emotional.
“That sad montage with rain and piano music? Straight corecore.”
17. Silent Rizz – When someone flirts successfully without saying much.
“He just stared and she melted. Silent rizz in action.”
18. Fan Behavior – Obsessing over someone, often exaggerated or playful.
“You saved all his Instagram lives? Fan behavior.”
19. Lore – The backstory behind someone’s actions or vibe.
“She won’t talk to anyone on Wednesdays. What’s the lore?”
20. Ratioed – When a comment gets fewer likes than the replies roasting it.
“He posted a hot take and got ratioed within minutes.”
21. Touch Grass – Go outside, log off, and get back to reality.
“You’re fighting in the comments again. Touch grass, bro.”
22. Zoomies – Random burst of hyper energy.
“I chugged two Red Bulls and got the zoomies.”
23. Caught in 4K – Totally exposed doing something wrong.
“She said she didn’t eat the cake but got caught in 4K.”
24. Canon Event – A life-defining moment, usually painful or dramatic.
“Failing that test? Canon event.”
25. Ship – To strongly support a romantic pairing.
“I totally ship them—they’re perfect together.”
26. Soft Launch – Subtly hinting at a relationship online.
“She posted two coffees and a guy’s arm—soft launch confirmed.”
27. Hard Launch – Fully revealing a relationship or situation online.
“He posted couple pics with the caption ‘forever’—hard launch achieved.”
28. Sheesh – Expression of surprise or admiration.
“Sheesh, those sneakers are fire!”
29. Say Less – Expression of quick agreement or understanding.
“You wanna skip and grab sushi? Say less.”
30. Vibing – Relaxing or enjoying the moment.
“Just vibing with some lo-fi beats.”
31. Slaps – Something that’s really good, especially music.
“This new album slaps so hard.”
32. Bussin – Extremely tasty or awesome.
“These tacos are actually bussin!”
33. Gatekeep – To keep something cool or helpful to yourself.
“Don’t gatekeep that hair product, spill!”
34. Main Character – Someone acting like the center of attention in a good way.
“She entered the party in slow-mo. Main character energy.”
35. Side Quest – A fun or random detour from your main plans.
“Stopped for boba on the way—side quest vibes.”
36. Based – Unapologetically true or rooted in logic.
“Your take on social media detox? So based.”
37. Drip – Someone’s fashionable outfit or style.
“Peep the fit—his drip is unmatched.”
38. Go Off – Encouragement to be bold or confident.
“You wanna roast him? Go off, queen!”
39. Real One – A loyal, trustworthy person.
“She helped me move in the rain. She’s a real one.”
40. Brick – Slang for very cold weather.
“It’s brick outside, wear a coat!”
41. Core – A suffix used to describe aesthetics.
“That outfit screams clowncore.”
42. Eat It Up – To absolutely love or enjoy something.
“That audience ate up every joke she told.”
43. Pre-slay – The energy you give before doing something confidently.
“Listening to Beyoncé in the mirror before my date. Pre-slay mode.”
44. I’m Him / I’m Her – Declaring peak confidence or power.
“Just closed that deal. I’m him.”
45. Living Rent-Free – Something you can’t stop thinking about.
“That awkward text is living rent-free in my head.”
46. Internet Rot – When you feel mentally drained from too much screen time.
“After 7 hours on TikTok, I’m fully in internet rot mode.”
47. Be So Fr – Short for “Be so for real.” Used when someone’s being dramatic or unbelievable.
“You think pineapple belongs on lasagna? Be so fr.”
48. Say That – A way of strongly agreeing with someone.
“Pizza is better cold? Say that!”
49. Ick – Something that instantly turns you off.
“He said ‘doggo’ in a serious voice. Immediate ick.”
50. Smash – Used to say something is amazing or successful.
“That event smashed expectations!”
51. Clowning – Acting foolish or embarrassing yourself.
“I triple-texted him. I’m clowning hard.”
52. Day 1 – Someone who’s been with you from the start.
“She’s been my bestie since kindergarten. My day 1.”
53. BFFR – Short for “Be freaking for real.”
“You think aliens are running Target? BFFR.”
54. Green Flag – Positive sign in behavior or character.
“He remembers small details. Total green flag.”
55. Red Flag – Negative or alarming trait in someone.
“He said he never listens to music. Giant red flag.”
56. Down Bad – Desperate, usually in love or affection.
“I texted ‘wyd’ at 2am. I’m down bad.”
57. Plug – Someone who hooks you up with goods, info, or help.
“Need tickets? I got a plug.”
58. Clean Girl – Beauty/lifestyle trend of minimalism and effortlessness.
“She’s all slick buns and dewy skin—pure clean girl aesthetic.”
59. Yassify – To make something hyper-fabulous or glam.
“Let’s yassify this boring outfit.”
60. Ghosted – When someone cuts off all communication without warning.
“We were texting every day and now nothing. He ghosted me.”
61. Dry Texting – Sending short, boring, or uninterested messages.
“She replied ‘k’ three times. Dry texting queen.”
62. G.O.A.T. – Greatest of all time.
“LeBron or Jordan? Both GOATs.”
63. POV – Point of view, often used in memes or storytelling.
“POV: You just spilled coffee on your white jeans.”
64. Pick Me – Someone who seeks validation by putting others down.
“She said she’s not like other girls. Total pick me.”
65. Deadass – Serious or honest.
“I’m deadass quitting caffeine after today.”
66. Flex – To show off, sometimes in a braggy way.
“Posting that vacation photo was a major flex.”
67. Mood – Something that perfectly reflects how you feel.
“That cat sleeping in a burrito blanket is a whole mood.”
68. Cringe – Awkward or embarrassing.
“His dance moves were pure cringe.”
69. Shook – Shocked or overwhelmed.
“I just saw my ex with my professor. I’m shook.”
70. Big Yikes – A more intense version of “yikes.”
“You showed your mom the wrong text? Big yikes.”
71. Tea – Gossip or interesting news.
“Girl, spill the tea about last night.”
72. Stan – To support someone obsessively or passionately.
“I stan that actor so hard—he can do no wrong.”
73. Bruh Moment – A moment of disbelief, confusion, or awkwardness.
“He called his teacher ‘mom.’ Total bruh moment.”
74. Ligma – A joke setup word from internet meme culture.
“Ever heard of ligma?” “Ligma what?”
75. Screaming/Crying/Throwing Up – Over-the-top emotional reaction.
“She noticed me in the comments. I’m screaming/crying/throwing up.”
76. Boom – Sudden surprise or statement of triumph.
“Aced that quiz I didn’t study for. Boom.”
77. Buss Down – To dance energetically or celebrate big time.
“Wait till this beat drops—I’m about to buss down.”
78. Glazed – Acting overly obsessed or dazed.
“He’s so glazed over her new selfies.”
79. On God – Emphasizing something as true or sincere.
“That speech was fire, on God.”
80. Snatched – Perfectly styled or flawless appearance.
“That contour? Snatched!”
81. Real AF – Authentic and brutally honest.
“That breakup post was real AF.”
82. Purrr – A sassy or approving expression.
“Yesss that’s the outfit! Purrr.”
83. Unalive – Euphemism for dark emotional moments or feeling overwhelmed.
“I just saw my exam score—I want to unalive.”
84. Yeet – To throw something energetically or randomly.
“Yeet that ball across the field!”
85. Frfr – For real, for real.
“This song hits deep, frfr.”
86. Bop – A catchy or fire song.
“Her new single? Total bop.”
87. Slime – A term of endearment for a close friend.
“Yo, slime, what’s good?”
88. Juiced – Hyped or overly excited.
“I’m juiced for the weekend.”
89. Menty B – A playful term for mental breakdown.
“Just had a menty B in the Target parking lot.”
90. Blink Twice – A sarcastic way of asking if someone needs help.
“If you’re being held hostage by finals, blink twice.”
91. Clout – Influence or internet popularity.
“He’s only doing that challenge for clout.”
92. We Move – Accepting something and moving on.
“Didn’t get the job, but we move.”
93. Dragged – Criticized or roasted hard.
“He posted that take and got dragged in the comments.”
94. Loop Me In – Keep me updated or involved.
“You’re making plans without me? Loop me in!”
95. DND – Do Not Disturb; mentally or literally unavailable.
“I’m in my DND era—don’t text me.”
96. Era – A period or phase in someone’s life, used ironically or seriously.
“I’m in my hot mess era and I love it.”
97. Glitching – Acting confused, awkward, or buffering like a broken robot.
“He tried to lie and started glitching mid-sentence.”
98. Been Him – Someone who’s always been that confident or iconic.
“Don’t act surprised—he’s been him.”
99. Villain Era – Taking control, setting boundaries, and being unapologetic.
“After all that drama, I’m fully in my villain era.”
100. Ate Too Much – When someone overdid it, usually on drama or flexing.
“That outfit has three hats and a cape. She lowkey ate too much.”
Language moves fast, and Gen Z is always ten steps ahead. Whether you’re slaying your own era or decoding TikTok lore, these 100 slang words will help you ride the wave of internet culture in 2025.
Now go forth, text with confidence, and maybe even drop a little rizz in your next convo.