Text Slang Guide For Parents & Educators
It seems like kids today have their own language! Thanks to Bark and many team members throughout Central Oregon, we have added a glossary of terms that students use. Please note, we have only added the terms that are appropriate for this website. We have added several other websites for your reference at the bottom of the list if you are looking for something not listed.
- A mood — A relatable feeling or situation (often shortened to the single word, “mood”)
- And that’s on [something] — Used to indicate that you’ve just shared a truth that needs no further discussion
- ASL — Age/sex/location
- Ate that — Means you successfully did something; you pulled it off. Example: “I saw your prom pics on insta, you totally ate that look.”
- Aura points — A term used to determine how cool, or not, you are.
- Bae — Significant other or crush
- Basic — Someone who is viewed as boring or a conforming person
- Beige flag — A quality or characteristic of a significant other that is weird or off-putting, but not enough to reject them.
- Bet — A response indicating agreement. Example: “Wanna go to the store?” “Bet.”
- Beta — Someone who is weak or soft, opposite of an “alpha” or “sigma” type.
- Bestie — “Best friend”; can also be used as a kind of formal address to a stranger.
- Body count — The number of people someone has slept with
- Bruh — “Bro”; can be used to address anybody
- Bussin’ — Awesome. Example: These tacos are bussin’.
- Cake — Used to describe a large bottom
- Cappin’ — Lying
- Cooked- Caught
- Cheugy — Used to describe someone or something that is basic, out of date, or trying too hard
- Cursed — Used to describe something (usually an online image) that is unsettling or creepy
- Cringe — Causing feelings of embarrassment or awkwardness
- Daddy — An attractive man, usually older, who conveys a sense of power and dominance
- Ded — Used when something is really funny or embarrassing.
- Delulu — Short for “delusional” and used when someone has unrealistic ideas about something
- Demure — While the word itself means modest or shy, the internet has turned it into a trendy aesthetic or lifestyle. In this instance, “demure” refers to a modest or reserved girl who doesn’t wear too much makeup to work, for example.
- Dope — A way to describe something as cool or awesome
- Drip — Style, great fashion sense, flashy accessories
- Egirl / Eboy — A young person with emo-inspired, punk-rock style
- Facts — An emphatic way to acknowledge the truth of someone’s statement
- Fam — Friends
- FINSTA — Fake Instagram account
- FOMO — Fear of missing out
- Fire — Amazing
- FWB — Friends with benefits
- Gas — Can refer to marijuana, be used to describe something that’s cool, or be used as a verb to mean “hype someone up”
- Ghosted — Ending a relationship by completely disappearing with no further communication
- GOAT — Greatest of all time
- Groyper- Group of individuals who identify as violent “incels” with white supremist beliefs
- GTG — Got to go
- Gucci — Something good or cool
- Hawk Tuah– Spit on it
- Hits different — When something is better than it normally is because of different circumstances. Example: “A cold soda just hits different when it’s super hot outside.”
- Ick or Ick Factor — The feeling you get when your attraction to someone is suddenly flipped to a feeling of disgust.
- ISO — In search of
- IYKYK — “If you know you know”; meant to imply that there’s an inside joke
- Juul — Type of e-cigarette that is small and discreet; ‘pods’ are used for smoking
- Karen — Used to refer to an entitled mom
- KMS — Kill myself
- KYS — Kill yourself
- Left no crumbs — A phrase that means you did something perfectly.
- Lit/Turnt/Turnt Up — Something that’s active or popular, can also refer to being stoned or drunk
- Lock in — To be focused and determined to achieve a goal.
- Low key — 1. Somewhat interested in 2. Keeping information secret
- Mewing — The act of making your jawline more defined by putting your tongue to the roof of your mouth. Teens might say something like, “Can’t talk, mewing” to indicate this is why they’re not talking.
- No cap — Used to indicate that someone is not lying
- OFC — Short for “of course”
- Ohio — Used to describe someone or something that’s weird, bad, or cringe. You’ll also see it alongside “skibidi” and “rizz”.
- Plug — Term used to refer to someone who can “connect” you with drugs; a drug dealer.
- Rizz — Derived from “charisma.” Someone who has “game” when it comes to romantic pursuits. Example: “Taylor has that rizz, they’re so charming.”
- Salty — To be bitter or cranky about something
- Same — “I can relate”
- Shading — Where teens gossip about another party without naming them; also “throw shade” means to talk about someone
- Ship — Short for “relationship”; also used as a verb to indicate a desire to see two people together. Ex.: I ship Taylor and Jamie.
- Sigma — Someone who is a lone-wolf type, independent but still strong. As opposed to the more dominant “Alpha” male type.
- Simp —Somebody who tries very hard and does a lot for their crush. Ex.: “You got Sarah 3 dozen roses? Stop being such a simp.”
- Skibidi — An adjective that can have multiple meanings such as “cool,” “dumb,” or “bad.” It comes from meme culture and originates from “Skibidi Toilet,” a popular YouTube video. It’s not unlike the nonsense video from the early ’00s “Peanut Butter Jelly Time.”
- Skibidi toilet —A surreal animated video featuring a singing toilet. It’s not supposed to make sense or any sense, it’s just a funny video popular with Gen Alpha.
- Slaps— Used to express that something is awesome. Ex.: “This burrito slaps.”
- SMH — “Shaking my head,” meaning “I don’t believe it” or “that’s so dumb”
- Snack — Describes an attractive person
- Snatched — On point, very good, or well styled
- Spam — A fake social media account
- Squad — Close friend group
- Stan — A teen slang term meaning an overzealous or obsessive fan of a particular celebrity
- Sus — Short for “suspicious.” Popularized by the Among Us game.
- Swoop — To be picked up in an automobile
- TBH — To be honest
- Tea — Gossip or interesting news shared between friends
- Thicc — Having an attractive, curvy body
- Thirsty — Desperate for attention
- Trap phone — Also called a burner phone, this is an older, hand-me-down smartphone that kids trade or sell with each other. Kids who get their phones taken away by their parents may seek out a trap phone to have easy internet access (provided they can connect it to WiFi).
- Trash — Terrible or unacceptable
- V — “Very”
- Vibing — Chilling out, having a good time, or identifying with a certain kind of energy
- Woke — Socially or politically conscious
- YAAS — A very emphatic yes
- YEET — 1. A very strong word for yes. 2. To throw something.
- Zaddy — A well-dressed, attractive man of any age
Older Teen Slang Terms
- 420 — Marijuana reference
- 11:11 — Popular time to make a wish
- ASB — As balls. Example: I’m high asb.
- Chill — Relaxed or laid back
- CYA — “Cover your ass” or “see ya”
- Dabbing — Refers to concentrated doses of cannabis; also a dance craze
- Hulk — A 2mg generic benzodiazepine bar, which is green
- ILY — I love you
- IRL — In real life
- JK — Just kidding
- Netflix and chill — Getting together and hooking up
- School Bus — A 2mg Xanax bar, which is yellow
- Snapstreak — Created when friends send snaps every day, creating a streak
- Spam — A fake social media account
- TDTM — Talk dirty to me
- WYA — Where you at?
- WYD — What you doing?
- WUF — Where you from?
For more resources on slang terms that youth are using, please see these resources below.
2024 Most Used Internet Abbreviations