Every generation has their own slang words. The linguistic expressions reflect the culture, values, and experiences of the young, hip, and cool. From the groovy lingo of the ‘60s to the gnarly glossary of the ‘80s, and to today’s super slay and lit vocabulary, it’s always evolving. These slang terms can be confusing for parents who aren’t hip to the trends in music, social media, or television, but we are here to help. Here’s an easy dictionary for some of the words your Generation Z offspring might be throwing around the house, on social media, or through text.
© GettyImagesFam: Short for “family,” but generally used to refer to close friends or a group of people who are like family to each other.Example: “Hanging out with the fam tonight,” “Nice one, fam.”
Flex: To show off or boast, often about one’s possessions, achievements, or abilities.Example: “That watch is a flex,” “He’s always flexing on them.”
GOAT: An acronym for “Greatest of All Time.” Used to refer to someone or something that is considered the best in a particular category.Example: “Serena Williams is the GOAT of tennis.”
It’s giving: Used to describe an outfit or action, comparing it to something else.Example: “It’s giving JLo in 2003,” “It’s giving poor.”
Lit: Something that’s exciting, fun, really cool, or a state of mind about sobriety. It can refer to events, parties, experiences, or people.Example: “That party was lit!” “They were so lit.”
No cap: When someone isn’t lying.Example: “Julie said that, no cap.”
Periodt: Used to emphasize the finality or conviction of a statement, and misspelled on purpose. There no room for debate or discussion.Example: “I’m not going, periodt.”
Rizz: When someone has a cool and unique essence that has people captivated and yearning to be their friend or partner.Example: “That guy has major rizz,” “They have no rizz.”
Salty: Feeling upset, angry, or bitter, over something. Can also be used to describe the way someone else looks or is behaving.Example: “I’m still salty that they ran out of chips,” “She looked so salty.”
Simp: Someone who will do anything for someone. Overly attentive.Example: “He’s a huge simp for that streamer.”
Slay: To do something exceptionally well or to look amazing while doing it. Often used about fashion, performance, or achievement.Example: “You look so slay,” “They slayed the speech.”
Tea: Gossip or a captivating story someone is ready to hear about.Example: “What’s the tea sis?”
Yeet: To throw or toss something far without care. Example: “He yeeted the ball.”
