It's like a different language. Gen Z's slang words are everywhere and they're entering mainstream. Best you learn the meaning of these...
Ok. So you’re sitting in a coffee shop and at the table next to you there are two Gen Z’s having a conversation.
What you hear sounds like a foreign language, and while eavesdropping, you try and Google what they are saying fast enough to be able to follow the convo.
The Gen Z guy was talking to their mate. It was something about a gyat, but that he was delulu for even thinking that he stood a chance with the girl. He then said something about the fact that he doesn’t have mad rizz and that he’s about as real as they come, no cap.
So ya. If you don’t know the slang words, you are not going to get very far in Gen Z comms.
Here’s a mini-dictionary to help you, and the rest of the world, figure out the generation with the strangest slang, like ever.
Slang words, translated
Bet: Not something you do on horses. Instead, it’s like saying okay. For example: “You want to go to the movies?” and the other replies “Bet”
No Cap or Cap: Again, you don’t wear this on your head. A Cap is a lie or a tall tale, while a No Cap is the truth or a serious statement. “He really shoplifted, it’s real, no-cap” to which you might reply “That story was real cap.”
Delulu: It’s a Gen Z’s playful way to express unrealistic ideals and short for delusional. You’d say something like “She thought she was a reincarnated Kardashian. She’s clearly in her delulu era.”
Slay: Which has kind of made it into mainstream vocab means to, simply, look amazing. It can also mean to succeed or achieve success. “Your make up slays today” or “She slayed in the boardroom.”
Rizz: The charm factor. Used when someone has charisma and has the ability to flirt. “They have crazy rizz, everyone just flocks after them”
Lykyk: It sounds more Afrikaans than Gen Z, but it’s actually an inside joke reference to something that happened or was experienced. You’d say “That road trip was, you know, lykyk.”
It’s Giving: You’d say, “This dress, it’s giving retro sixties”. What you mean is that it reminds you of the sixties’ fashion, or the dress gives that kind of vibe.
Sus or Suss: Spelt differently depending on auto-complete on devices, but it means shady, suspicious and a bit dodgy. “That guy in the long dark coat and hat is sus.”
Mid: Lukewarm, kind of flaccid. It’s how Gen Z’s refer to something as mediocre. “That new Taylor Swift track is mid”
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Shook: The opposite of Mid. This is when you are shocked, overwhelmed or even surprised. You’d say, “I was shook when he told me that he got a CEO job.”
Ate: Another descriptive word that aids expression to say that someone did something really well. “She ate that exam; there were just no crumbs left.”
Flex: An obvious one, sort of. When a Gen Z shows off, they’re flexing. “Posting your overseas trip is a flex.”
At least we know what Ghosting is
Ghost: Also entered popular speak. To ghost someone is to stop responding to them.
The Ick: It’s an instant turn-off or a loss of attraction to someone or something. “When he slurped up the custard, major ick”
Karen: Another Gen Z term that’s made it into mainstream already. It’s a rude or overly-entitled person. “That person complaining about the coffee is a real Karen”
Receipts: Not what you get at the shop. It’s proof or evidence, usually screenshots or saved stuff. You’d say, “I have receipts to prove that this really happened”
Salty: This is a Gen Z emotional descriptor. It denotes being upset or a bit bitter. “The country was salty when the Boks lost to Australia last week.”
Tea: It’s not in a cup. It’s gossip or a truth. After a date, your friend might ask you to “spill the tea” about it.
Thirsty: Gen Z’s don’t get thirsty for a drink, but for attention instead. It’s someone who is desperate for attention. “He’s paying for all her drinks, he’s thirsty”
Simp: When you’re crushing on someone, and you’re being a puppy dog at their beckon and call. “Look at her, she does whatever he wants. She’s such a simp.”
Woke: In other gen-speak, it’s left-leaning politics. For Gen Z, it’s being politically aware, albeit also with a left-leaning tone. “She’s going to watch that politician speak, again, she’s really woke.”
Snack: It used to be something you’d eat. Now it’s also an attractive person. You’d say, “She looks like a snack.”
I’m Weak: You can also say ‘I’m dead’. It means much the same. Use this when you watch a hilarious meme online. “That video of Julius ranting – I’m weak.”
Slaps: Gen Z’s use this term to describe how amazing something is. Let’s say you went for dinner and “the meal was so good, it slapped.”
Snatched: Curiously this doesn’t mean anything the word currently describes. For a Gen Z, snatched means that you look really good in a particular outfit. “He looks so snatched in that suit.”
Slaps is not a sport, it’s a metaphor
Fam: We know this, and we all use it. It’s short for family, friends and colleagues. In fact, a term for anyone you are close to.
Fire: When it’s trendy, not literally in flames. It’s used to describe something trendy and, well, hot. “Girl, that bikini is fire.”
Lit: A three-letter word to replace cool, which is four. It’s whatever is fun, cool and exciting, but can also be used to describe someone as being drunk by some Gen Zs.
Situationship: The in-between friends and lovers. A situationship is a romantic entanglement, but it’s not committed per se. So, you could be seeing your partner, but you have not gotten into the serious stuff as yet. It’s just a situationship right now.
Gyat: For the love of booty. Gyat is used to describe a rather well-endowed derriere.
Bussin: Also used to describe something that was quite amazing, similar to slaps, but not quite. “That meal was bussin.” You’d say.
GOAT: Acronym for greatest of all time. Not a reference to anyone’s looks.
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