As the majority of us may know, there are a total of seven different generations right now, one for every 20 years or so that pass. Arguably, the generations most present on social media are Millennials (Generation/Gen Y) and Zoomers (Generation/Gen Z), as they are currently the most tech savvy. With the use of social medias such as Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok; millions of people pick up new and intriguing words to use in their vocabulary. Social media is the key to staying on top of things, which includes what people now use in their daily conversations and communication.
As someone who is a part of Gen-Z, I understand the meaning of a lot of slang that friends or acquaintances who use social media often say in in-person conversations. I’m sure others in different generations may not feel the same way that I do, and I can’t blame them at all! It can be difficult to stay on top of new words, especially since what is ‘cool’ or ‘uncool’ to say shifts, usually changing with trends on social media. Even then, I barely understand Millennial slang (no offense!), as the majority of people on TikTok I follow or like posts from are Gen Z influencers.
That was the reason I chose to write about slang and have a set definition for them. But I also get to learn about Millennial slang too and can share my newly discovered words.
Before I start defining all of the Gen-Z vocabulary, I’d like to point out that most of Gen-Z slang words are a part of AAVE, also known as African American Vernacular English. They originate from rural cities, curated by Black Americans. They are often misinterpreted as TikTok and other social medias popularize the word, which makes the meaning mixed up compared to the ‘correct’ definition, because people use the words wrong repeatedly.
Without further ado, here are some words that Gen-Z use or used to use, whether it be online-only or in face-to-face conversation.
(Note: These may be a bit outdated, as they were popularized in 2020-2021 when the pandemic was still a large global issue.)
‘It’s giving…’ – To compare something to another, usually an adjective or a reference to media. Example: ‘It’s giving… tacky.’
‘Ate‘ – To say that someone did really well at something/excelled. Example: ‘She ate that dance up!’
‘Slay‘ – To say that something that someone did is REALLY impressive, usually by shouting it out. – Example: ‘Slayy! He killed that!’
‘Sending me‘ – To refer to something, usually a form of media, that is making you feel a strong emotion, usually light-hearted. Example: ‘THIS IS SENDING MEE to a funny Instagram Reel.’
‘Mid‘ – Calling something basic, boring. – Example: ‘Wednesday, the show on Netflix, was mid.’
‘W, L (Win, Loss)‘ – To indicate something was the right or wrong choice. – Example: ‘L game.’ ‘W boss.’
Millennials also have a few slang words, many of which I have never heard of or didn’t understand. Here are a few and their definitions.
‘Basic’ – Refers to something/someone as unoriginal. – Example: ‘Skinny jeans are so basic.’
‘Extra’ – Doing something over the top. – Example: ‘Wow, his dancing is so extra…’
‘Big yikes‘ – Usually refers to something embarrassing. – Example: ‘Their breakup? Big yikes.’
‘Lowkey‘ – Keeping something chill OR saying kind of in a laidback way. – Example: ‘I lowkey agree with you.’
‘Trill‘ – True + Real combined into one word. – Example: ‘Your Myspace status is so trill.‘
‘Gucci‘ – To say good/cool/fine/okay. – Example: ‘Don’t worry, it’s Gucci.’
