Table of Contents
Gen Z slang
The rise of social media has changed how fast slang spreads. Not only that but, it also offers different incentives for the creation of new words. There’s no better way to get in with the younger crowd than knowing how they speak and no better way to get noticed as an Influencer if not by using their language successfully.
So, here are some slang terms Gen Z‘ers are using that you can too:
1. Sus
What it means: A short-term for suspicious or suspect.
Example: “This guy seems sus, do you think he did it?”
Origin: Popularized in 2020 by players of the online video game Among Us after the game’s explosion in popularity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When an individual was acting suspiciously or “sus”, others would accuse them of being the imposter.
2. Mid
What it means: Used to describe something that is average and mediocre. Not good but also not bad. More like in the middle.
Example: “The Barbie movie was totally mid.”
Origin: Garnered major popularity in September 2021 due to several tweets that used the term to describe the album Certified Lover Boy by rapper Drake by Gen Z.
3. Rizz
What it means: Short for charisma and used to describe a charismatic person.
Example: “He’s got so much rizz, he gets all the girls.”
Origin: A favorite of Gen Z slang, it was coined by YouTuber Kai Cenat in mid-2021. Gained popularity in 2023 on TikTok.
4. Ijbol
What it means: Stands for “I just burst out laughing”.
Example: “He fell off his chair and ijbol.”
Origin: Popularized into mainstream Twitter culture and Gen Z slang through the K-pop stan community in 2023.
5. Era
What it means: Follows its typical meaning, but it is accompanied by a word or phrase that describes an activity or event by which the period was defined.
Example: “You haven’t gotten a single A this semester.” “I’m in my flop era.”
6. Moot/Moots
What it means: Short for mutuals or mutual followers.
Example: “I want more moots! I feel like recently I haven’t made any new friends.”
Origin: Gained popularity as Gen Z slang on Twitter in 2021.
7. Let Him Cook
What it means: To let someone do their thing. Another way of saying this is onto something.
Example: “Hold on, wait a minute… let him cook.”
Origin: Popularized on Twitch as Gen Z slang in late 2022.
8. Touch Grass
What it means: To get in touch with reality. Said to a person who could benefit from spending some time away from the Internet.
Example: “I’m so tired of seeing all these people arguing on Twitter. They need to go touch grass.”
Origin: Originated from the gaming community, where players oftentimes spend hours in front of screens.
9. Rent-free
What it means: To constantly be thinking about something.
Example: “This video lives in my mind rent-free.”
Origin: Gradually spread through Twitter and TikTok as Gen Z slang. Used in a memorable episode of The Big Bang Theory in reference to the Sheldon Cooper–Wil Wheaton rivalry.
10. Situationship
@tayrosen Looks healthy to me #situationship #dating #goodfellas ♬ Violin Sonata No. 26 in B-Flat Major, K. 378: I. Allegro moderato – Maxim Vengerov
What it means: A romantic relationship that isn’t quite a full-on romantic relationship but definitely a little bit romantic.
Example: “Oh, those two aren’t serious, they’re just in a situationship with each other.”
Origin: Coined by journalist Carina Hsieh in 2017 in an article for Cosmopolitan magazine. In 2022, a dating application added “situationship” as a legitimate relationship status on its platform, and the term began to be used more widely on social media, particularly TikTok.
11. Canon Event
What it means: An unavoidable life event that builds character.
Example: “When I see a young girl with beautiful thick brunette hair go for a few blonde highlights, I can’t interfere, it’s a canon event.”
Origin: Derived from its usage in Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse, where it began being used on TikTok as Gen Z slang not long after the movie’s release in 2023.
I put ITP Live’s Content Manager Aman Dhami to the test to see if she knew any of these slang terms. Here’s how she did:
Let us know how you did in the comments!
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