Welcome to the Future! Making Sense of Gen Z Slang

No one ever thinks they’re getting old. I rarely think about my age—I am still around 30, maybe 35 in my mind. (Okay, 40 at most). Happily going about my business, sometimes I startle when I pass a mirror and see undeniable physical evidence of change and aging.

Oh, yeah, I remember: I’m mature now. Cognitive dissonance can really suck.

Further evidence of my aging is that my kids are aging, too. When I asked one of them to do a chore for me recently, he replied with something foreign and indecipherable: “Okay, Boomer.”

Huh?

Turning towards him, a heated mixture of confusion, defensiveness, and irritation flushing up inside me, I asked, “What’s up with that? That’s not cool. I’m no Boomer—you know I’m Gen X. What the heck are you talking about?”

His response? He laughed hysterically.

Welcome, friends, to Gen Z slang.

Whatever you do, don’t take it personally—it has nothing to do with you. It’s simply the result of being born into a fully electronic age. When you’re raised on electronic communication from birth, it makes sense you would create a whole new language to take advantage of the lightning-quick, compact methods to deliver your ideas. With text and social media as your primary platforms, making a big impact with the minimum number of characters possible is essential. For the rest of us, this may be understandable, but that doesn’t make it intuitive or easy to decode.

Yet, it’s becoming more and more essential to keep up so we can not only converse with the next generation, we can understand what’s being said to us and around us. Gen Z slang is quietly growing and taking over, moving beyond school hallways and spilling into popular music (brat summer, anyone?). It’s generating a new, lucrative and powerful marketing machine. It’s even infiltrating politics—being brat might just help you get elected.

Below are a sample of Gen Z terms that are becoming more mainstream. Study up, Boomer, and you may just continue to pass as current and relevant for another year or two.

Ate: To do something well.

Amped: Excited, pumped.

Basic: Unoriginal, uninspired, pedestrian.

brat: Authentic, original, unapologetic, non-conforming, and a bit rebellious. A reference to the album of the same name created by Gen Z artist Charli xcx. Anything lime green, like the album cover, symbolizes brat. Intentionally left lowercase.

Boomer / Okay, Boomer: A way to address an older person, dismissing their thoughts, attitudes, or opinions as being dated and irrelevant.

Bougie: Fancy, posh, luxurious. Derived from bourgeois.

Bruh: A form of address to just about anyone, derived from “bro.”

Cap/No Cap: “Cap” means lying, so “no cap” means something is true.

Cheugy: Something that is past the trend, out of fashion, or trying too hard to be cool.

Clapback: A comeback after you’ve been called out for something.

Cringe: Something that causes embarrassment or discomfort.

Dank: Excellent, cool, hip, of good quality.

Dope: Awesome, unrivaled, exceptional.

Dox: To post private information or photos without permission, maliciously.

Extra: Too much, dramatic, over the top.

Facts: True; that’s the truth.

Fire: Inspiring, amazing, awesome.

Flex: To brag.

Gassing: Inflating someone else’s accomplishments and ego.

Ghost: To abruptly cut off communication with someone without explanation.

Heated: Angry or upset.

Hype: Great, inspiring, excellent.

Ick, Ick factor: Disgusting, gross.

IRL: In real life.

IYKYK: If you know, you know.

Juul: A vape pen.

Left on read: When someone has read a text message but not responded.

Legit: Honestly.

Lit: Excellent or exciting. Alternatively, intoxicated.

LFG: Let’s f*cking go.

Mad: Extremely.

Mid: Average, unexceptional. Middling.

Netflix and chill: To hook up or go home with a love interest.

NSFW: Not safe for work.

OMW: On my way.

On point: Perfect, correct, exact.

Only in Ohio: Something unusual, strange, or counterintuitive.

Pressed: Frustrated, annoyed, stressed.

Rad: Great, excellent.

Receipts: Evidence of someone’s behavior, words, or actions.

Rizz: Charm, verve. Short for charisma.

Rn: Right now.

Salty: Pissed off, irritated.

Sick: Cool, hip, fun, awesome.

Slay: To do something well.

Swole: Ripped; having a muscular physique.

Take a seat: A snarky way to shut someone down or get them to stop talking.

Touch grass: To go offline and get outside in the real world.

Understood the assignment: To go above or beyond what’s expected.

Vanilla: Ordinary, boring, pedestrian.

Vibe: A feeling, mood, or ambiance.

Vibe check: To check your own or someone else’s vibe.

Whip: A snazzy car.

Woke: Someone who is socially, ethically, and morally aware.

WYD: What are you doing?

Yaas, yass: An enthusiastic “yes.”

Yeet: An expression of enthusiasm or delight, to throw.

This is by no means a comprehensive list; slang by nature is constantly growing and changing. A word of advice: beware of dropping these terms casually in conversation with Gen Z’ers. They find it over-the-top hilarious to hear their terms coming from an older person’s mouth.

Bruh, you may be aiming for dope, but legit, you will come off as cheugy and extra. Facts.