For those born from 1997 to 2012, known best to the world as Gen Z, coming up into adulthood alongside the internet and other technologies has been a rollercoaster ride. Generations before had to rely on physical maps when taking road trips, read numerous books to cite all the necessary sources when writing essays and they certainly didn’t have Chat GPT to help them sound smarter. Now, it’s almost too easy to create anything your mind can conjure up with just the click of a few buttons. Understandably, living in different times has brought about different slang words than what we’ve been accustomed to over the last decade, thanks to Millenials.
The quick-witted comebacks of this generation aren’t always easy to understand, but they certainly are entertaining. Especially when used to shake up typically formal situations, such as in the TikTok below. Keep reading to learn some of Gen Z’s must-know lingo, and afterwards drop by the comments to tell us which is your favorite slang to use lately.
Popular Gen Z Slang Words
NPC: Also known as a non-playable character; used to describe people you encounter who you’re not entirely sure are even real, or those who play minimal, background roles in your life.
Rizz: While Millenials had swag, Gen Z has rizz – short for charisma, or infectious charm. As The Hill notes, the slang originates from south Baltimore, where it was first shortened to “rizzma”.
Moots: An abbreviated form of “mutuals,” or an endearing term of affection for those who follow you back on social media.
Delulu: In order to make your dreams come true, sometimes tapping into your delulu side is necessary. It essentially means setting all limiting beliefs to the side and fully embodying the confidence necessary to manifest your dream life. Even if it looks a little crazy to others.
Simp: Typically used to describe a man who repeatedly gives more than he receives when pursuing someone. A simp might repeatedly shoot their shot at someone who’s clearly not interested or continue to show kindness to someone who degrades them.
Ick: If anyone’s going to give you the ick, it’s a simp. The ick occurs when a person is suddenly turned off by another’s behaviour. Such as chewing too loudly, being rude to service workers, or even showing too much affection. Sometimes these feelings can be enough to end a relationship for good. Others simply make for funny stories.
Nepo Baby: The generation of celebrities on the rise largely consists of nepo babies, or relatives of wealthy people in the entertainment industry who don’t have to work nearly as hard as others for life-changing opportunities. Examples of Black stars who fall in this category are Coi Leray, Coco Jones, John David Washington and Tracee Ellis Ross.
Cap/No Cap: If someone calls “cap” on you mid-sentence, they’re accusing you of lying. On the other hand, if they tell you “no cap” after spilling some juicy gossip, it means they’re being honest with you.
Cheugy: The trend cycle moves faster than ever thanks to social media. So much so that Gen Z crafted a new word that describes something that’s what might’ve been called “so yesterday” in the early 2000s. To be fair, virtually anything can be cheugy. But it’s most often used in the fashion world when critiquing looks that were once trendy, but now are obviously dated.
Girl Dinner: This is another phrase that blew up online as women began posting about the small meals they make to sustain themselves. Espeically during periods of singledom or when away from their spouses. Rather than cooking up a full meal that men seem to enjoy each evening, many girls have confessed to light snacking, crafting creative sandwiches, or skipping girl dinner entirely in favor of girl dessert.
Main Character: If all the world’s a stage, then you definitely want to make sure you’re the main character in your own life. People who share their lives online or work in creative industries seem to give off this energy the easiest. Though it’s possible for anyone to occupy center stage whenever they feel called to do so simply by seeking out appreciation in each small moment.
Snatched: When you’ve been spending a lot of time hitting the gym, or recently got your facial filler touched up, your friends might leave comments underneath your latest IG upload telling you how snatched (flawless, in shape, etc.) you’re looking.
Mid: Should someone disagree that you look snatched, they might instead describe you as mid, or average. This is another slang word that’s highly subjective; remember, one man’s mid can be another man’s trophy wife!
Bussin: When you think of the best meal you’ve ever eaten, bussin might be the perfect way to describe it. Elsewhere, it might refer to a noticeably curvaceous body, or a particularly lit night out with your friends.
Era: Traditionally speaking, an era is “a long and distinct period of history with a particular feature or characteristic.” Somehow, Gen Z has managed to shift the paradigm so that a person can experience a number of different eras in mere minutes, simply through expressing their feelings online or with a friend.
Menty B: One example of an era you might’ve experienced is a “menty b,” or mental breakdown. Of course, you don’t literally have had taken yourself to the hospital to know what it’s like to have a bad brain day. When in your menty b era, you might find yourself over-indulging in your favorite treats, sharing too much (or not at all) on IG or battling with your ego to overcome intrusive thoughts. None of this is fun to deal with, but it is a part of humanhood and can be solved with a few deep breaths. Like any era, it won’t last forever.
Vibe Check: If you’re unsure how other people might be perceiving you, there’s never a bad time to ask people you trust to give you a vibe check. You know what feedback you’re looking for, but these check-ins might give you insight on how to improve your style, what vibes you no longer want to put out into the universe and (if your friends are doing their job correctly) all the things you have to be confident about.
