Raising Kids Teens Teen Slang Words in 2024: A Dictionary for Parents A Parents guide to decoding the lingo your kids use in texts, on TikTok, and IRL. By Amy Morin, LCSW Updated on May 2, 2024 Fact checked by Elizabeth Brownfield In This Article View All In This Article Why Kids Use Slang General Terms People or Relationships Compound Slang Parties, Drugs, and Sex Key Takeaways Trending Videos Close this video player Illustration by Cindy Chung Teens in each generation develop a unique language of their own. After all, language is something people use in order to communicate, but also to show that we belong. Over the years, parents have heard terms ranging from "outta sight" and "phat," to things like "sick" and "gag me with a spoon." Every decade has been marked by its special phrases, but there's more to these words than just their direct meaning. Language has history, and the current "slang" phrases of Gen Z and Gen Alpha are no different. Why Kids Use Slang Trying to figure out what teens are saying is increasingly challenging, as the explosion of social media, memes, digital communication, and the ever-present cell phone means teen-speak is evolving faster than ever. Once you think you've mastered a few phrases, you're probably already out of touch again. Of course, slang isn't unique to teenagers—humans of all ages gravitate toward language that allows them to feel part of a group. But as teens are developing their identities and trying to figure out who they are, the tendency to lean into "slang" words might feel stronger. Be Smart It's important to educate yourself about common teen slang so that you understand what your teen is talking about—both online and IRL. It's important to keep in mind that many of the phrases you hear from your teens have origins in Black culture, as well as Black queer culture. Lots of popular terms that have become mainstream, including "slay," "extra," "period," "cap," and more, are derived from African American Vernacular English (AAVE). To categorize these words as solely Gen Z or Gen Alpha slang would be to misrepresent their history, and would also over-simplify the way in which language evolves and grows. These words aren't created by today's teens, but they have become embedded in youth culture all the same. With that in mind, here are some things you might be hearing your teen saying around the house—and what they mean. General Terms Below are some common words you might hear: AF - Stands for "as f**k," used to emphasize a statement (i.e. "she's cool AF") Ate - To succeed at something. "She ate..." as in "ate that up" Cap - Something that is not true or a lie Cheugy - Something that is out of date or a person who is trying too hard Cringe - Word to describe embarrassing or awkward behavior Dead - Something is so funny that the speaker has "died" of laughter Dope - Cool or awesome Extra - Over-the-top, extreme Fit - Short for outfit Fire - Hot, trendy, amazing, or on point (formerly "straight fire") GOAT - "Greatest of All Time" Go Off - A phrase said to encourage someone to continue, usually when they're ranting about something (can also be sarcastic, as in, "but go off, I guess") Gucci - Good, cool, or going well Hits Different - Something that "hits different" lands differently than usual IRL - In real life, as opposed to online IYKYK - Stands for "if you know, you know" Lit - Amazing, cool, or exciting Low-Key - Added to a feeling or desire to downplay it (i.e. "I'm low-key freaking out") Mood - A word to signify agreement or a specific vibe OMG - An abbreviation for "Oh my gosh" or "Oh my God" ONG - Basically the equivalent of "I swear to God" Preppy - High end and stylish, connoting wealth. Can also go negative, as in conformist, with "Preppy Nation" Rizz - Short for charisma. Someone who's charming, or has "game" Salty - Bitter, angry, agitated Sic/Sick - Cool or sweet Sigma - A male who is popular, but is also a loner who separates himself from the crowd Slay - To be extremely stylish or successful Sleep On - To be ignorant to something or someone's value (i.e. "Don't sleep on the new Ariana single") Snatched - Looks good, perfect, or fashionable; the new "on fleek" TBH - To be honest Tea - Gossip, situation, story, or news Thirsty - Trying to get attention Vanilla - Boring/Beige Yassify - A dramatic makeover, or to apply several beauty filters to a picture until the person is totally unrecognizable Yeet - To throw something in anger YOLO - "You Only Live Once" (often used ironically) People or Relationships Relationships are an important aspect of adolescence. In the teen years, kids develop their own identities and explore who they are outside of their families. Interactions with their peers are a key component of this process—and they often create unique words to describe their friendships and romantic relationships. Here are some slang words your teen might use when talking about other people: Bae - "Before anyone else," babe, or baby; is used to describe a romantic partner or good friend Basic - Boring, average, or unoriginal BF/GF - Boyfriend/girlfriend BFF - "Best friends forever" Big Yikes - Extra cringe Bruh - Bro or dude (all three terms are gender-neutral) Cap - Fake or a lie CEO - To be the "CEO of" something is to excel at it Curve - To reject someone romantically (related to "ghosting") Emo - Someone who is emotional or a drama queen Fam - Group of friends Flex - To show off Ghosted - To end a relationship by cutting off communication It's giving - a comparison "It's giving 80s vibes..." A Karen - A disparaging way to describe a petty middle-aged woman, who is rude and entitled. (For example, saying, "What a Karen," about someone who returns their drink at a restaurant for not having enough ice) No cap - Totally true or no lie Noob/n00b - A person who doesn't know what they're doing or who is bad at something; in other words, a newbie OK, Boomer - Usually said in response to a person or idea that seems outdated Periodt - End of statement emphasizer. For example: “That’s the best ice cream, periodt.” Pop Off - To react angrily Ratio'd - From social media, more negative feedback than positive Serving - Looking good Ship - You might "ship" two people together, as in you think they should be a couple; derived from the word relationship Shook - To be incredibly shocked or shaken up Simp - Someone who does way too much for the person they like; to have a huge crush on someone Spill the Tea - Asking someone to spill gossip Squad - Group of friends that hang out together regularly, used ironically Stan - An overzealous fan of a particular group or celebrity Sus - Suspicious, shady, not to be trusted Throw shade - To disrespect or trash-talk someone Tight - In a close relationship or friendship Tool - Someone who is stupid, obnoxious, rude, and/or embarrasses themselves, often a jock type Compound Slang New words are sometimes created by combining two other words together. To understand what they mean, you need to know the definition of each word. Here are some examples of compound teen slang: Crashy - Crazy and trashy, like a trainwreckCrunk - Getting high and drunk at the same time, or crazy and drunkHangry - Hungry and angryRequestion - Request and a question, or to question againTope - Tight and dope Parties, Drugs, and Sex Teens are prone to experiment and push boundaries—and also to talk a big game. So, sometimes slang words will simply be used in fun or boasting. However, sometimes they may indicate risky (or potentially risky) behavior. For the most part, teen get-togethers are a fun rite of passage and aren't automatically anything to be concerned about. However, parties (and related teen slang) can raise concerns over supervision, appropriate behavior, the use of illegal substances, alcohol, peer pressure, bullying, and unprotected sex. Whether or not your child is involved in any inappropriate or dangerous activities, you'll want to know what they're talking about and be attuned to any words that might indicate possible trouble. Below is a list of some social slang to be aware of: 53X - SexBody count - The number of people someone has slept withCU46 - See you for sexDayger - Party during the dayFunction/Func - PartyGyat - Big butt, as "Girl, your *ss thick" or the reaction, "goddamn"Kick back - Small partyMolly - Ecstasy (MDMA), a dangerous party drugNetflix and chill - Used as a front for inviting someone over to make out (or maybe more)Plug - Someone who can hook you up with drugsRager - Big partySmash - To have casual sexSloshed - To be drunkThrow down - To throw a partyTurnt - To be high or drunk (formerly "turnt up")X - EcstasyWTTP - Want to trade photos?LMIRL - Let's meet in real life Key Takeaways Aim to balance safety with privacy and independence for your teen. Talk with your teen about the concerns you have, your family rules and expectations, as well as safe and healthy social media usage. Teenagers need to be able to have private conversations with their friends. And clearly, you can't monitor what your teen is doing or talking about all the time. Still, you may want to monitor your teen's social media feeds at times, and pay attention when they're chatting with their pals. If you see or hear conversations that worry you—or that you can't decode—be ready to take action as needed. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Parents uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. The development of self and identity in adolescence: neural evidence and implications for a value-based choice perspective on motivated behavior. 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