70+ Slang Words in English You’ll Hear Everywhere

What Are Slang Words in English?

Slang words in English are informal terms used in casual conversation, often unique to age groups or regions. These expressions bend grammar rules, change quickly, and give a glimpse into culture. For example, instead of saying someone is attractive, you might hear “he’s a snack.” Slang reflects how people really feel, joke, or hype each other up – it’s raw, real, and ever-changing.

Why Learn Slang Words in English?

Just like how the longest English words can impress and the shortest English words keep things snappy, slang words in English add flavor and personality to your everyday speech. Knowing slang bridges the gap between textbook English and how people actually speak. You’ll laugh at inside jokes, decode song lyrics, and blend in better with native speakers. Plus, it’s fun. It sounds cooler to say “That’s fire!” than “That’s very good.”, doesn’t it?

Most Popular Slang Words in English

Slang words in English today are shaped heavily by TikTok, memes, and online communities. Below are the trendiest ones you’re guaranteed to see or hear this year.

General Slang

These general slang words in English have stood the test of time and are widely understood, even outside TikTok or Zoomer circles.

Slang Word	Meaning	Example Sentence
Tea	Gossip	“Spill the tea, sis.”
Ghost	Cut off communication	“She ghosted after one date.”
Salty	Bitter or upset	“He got salty about losing.”
Chill	Relaxed or cool	“She’s super chill.”
Shade	Subtle insult	“That was some serious shade.”
Flex	Show off	“He’s always flexing his car.”
Hangry	Hungry + angry	“Don’t talk to me when I’m hangry.”
Lowkey	Slightly or secretly	“I lowkey want to skip class.”
Highkey	Openly or obviously	“I highkey love that song.”
Lit	Amazing or exciting	“That concert was lit!”
Hype	Excited or energetic	“I’m so hype for the party.”
Savage	Ruthlessly honest or bold	“That comeback was savage.”
Cap	Lie	“Nah, that’s cap.”
No cap	No lie	“I’m serious — no cap.”
Woke	Socially aware	“She’s really woke on politics.”
Cringe	Embarrassing or awkward	“That video is pure cringe.”
Bop	Great song	“This new track is a bop.”
Squad	Close group of friends	“Hanging with the squad tonight.”
Clap back	Sharp reply	“She clapped back hard.”
Ship	Want two people together	“I totally ship Jack and Rose.”

Gen Z Slang

Slang words in English used by Gen Z Gen Z slang words in English are bold, internet-born, and unapologetically weird, but wildly popular.

Slang Word	Meaning	Example Sentence
Canon event	A necessary life fail	“Her dating him was a canon event.”
Be so for real (BSFR)	Stop kidding	“That’s your outfit? Be so for real.”
Corecore	Random aesthetic vibes	“That video was peak corecore.”
Girl dinner	Snacks as a meal	“Crackers and cheese? Girl dinner.”
Legit	Legitimate	“His excuse for being late sounded legit; he had a flat tire and showed us a picture as proof.”
Silent rizz	Charisma without speaking	“He didn’t say a word but pulled? Silent rizz.”
Ate and left no crumbs	Killed it	“That speech? Ate and left no crumbs.”
Touch grass	Go outside and calm down	“Arguing online? Go touch grass.”
He’s him / I’m her	Confidence	“I passed the test? I’m her.”
Vanilla	Bring, plain	“I thought the movie would be more thrilling, but it turned out to be quite vanilla.”
Epic fail	A huge or embarrassing mistake	“Trying to cook without water was an epic fail.”
Totes	totally	“Let’s grab some pizza for dinner tonight.” – “Totes, I’m craving pizza.”
Say less	I got you / understood	“You want me to cover you? Say less.”
Vibe check	Over-the-top in a fun way	“Her Met Gala look? That’s camp.”
That’s so mother	Fierce or iconic	“She won again. That’s so mother.”
Ate that	Did something well	“He ate that dance routine.”
Gas him up	Compliment or hype someone up	“Don’t forget to gas him up before his big presentation.”
I’m deadass	I’m serious	“Deadass, I’m quitting this job.”
Whiz	A very smart or skilled person at something	“She’s a computer whiz.”
She’s so real for that	Valid or admirable	“She skipped work to nap? She’s so real.”
Such a bummer	A disappointing or unfortunate situation	“The weather forecast for the picnic is rain all day. What a bummer.”

Social Media Slang

Social media slang words in English are born on platforms like TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram. If it trends, it ends up here.

Slang Word	Meaning	Example Sentence
POV	Point of View	“POV: You forgot your homework.”
DM	Direct Message	“Slide into my DMs.”
Clout	Fame or influence	“He’s doing it for clout.”
Lowkey	Slightly, secretly, or subtly	“I lowkey want to skip class today.”
Viral	Widely shared content	“That video went viral overnight.”
Sus	Suspicious or sketchy	“He said he was home, but that story sounds sus.”
Ratio	Replies outshining the post	“You just got ratioed.”
FYP	TikTok’s For You Page	“Hope this hits FYP.”
Alt	Alternate social account	“Follow my alt for unfiltered stuff.”
Thirst trap	Hot photo posted for attention	“That was a total thirst trap.”
Soft launch	Subtle reveal	“She soft-launched her boyfriend.”
Hard launch	Full-on reveal	“Okay, that’s a hard launch!”
Ded	Very funny	“That meme had me ded. I couldn’t stop laughing.”
Unalive	Euphemism for death	“That movie made me want to unalive.”
Based	Boldly true or brave	“Saying that? Based.”
Unseen	Left on read	“Bro left me unseen.”
Main	Primary account	“Follow my main, not my spam.”
Spam	Casual post account	“Just posted 10 pics on spam.”
Fit check	Someone arguing online	“Don’t be a keyboard warrior.”
No cap	No lie, for real	“That movie was amazing, no cap.”

Regional Differences in English Slang

Slang words in English also depend on where you’re from. Here’s how Americans, Brits, and Aussies say it differently.

Meaning	American Slang	British Slang	Australian Slang
Friend / mate	Homie / Bro	Bruv	Mate
Tired / exhausted	Beat / Dead tired	Knackered	Zonked
Cool / awesome	Dope / Sick	Ace / Wicked	Sick / Heaps good
Lie / nonsense	BS / Cap	Rubbish	Rubbish
Very good / attractive	Fire / Baddie	Fit	Stunner
Rich / high class	Loaded / Bougie	Posh	Cashed up
Surprised / shocked	Shook	Gobsmacked	Stunned
Joke / messing around	Joking	Taking the piss	Taking the mickey
Not true / unbelievable	No way! / Cap	Pulling my leg	Pull the other one
Party	Rager	Sesh	Do / Bender