Ever feel like Gen Alpha is speaking a whole new language? You're not wrong! Their slang is evolving at lightning speed, fueled by TikTok, gaming, and online communities. If you're scratching your head trying to figure out what "it's giving" or "Ohio coded" means, you've come to the right place.
This glossary breaks down some of the most common and current Gen Alpha slang terms. Let's log in and absorb the drip!
What is Gen Alpha?
Gen Alpha refers to the generation born from about 2010 onward—these are today's kids and pre-teens, and they'll be the next wave of teens and young adults. Gen Alpha is the first group to grow up entirely in the 2020s, surrounded by smartphones, AI, TikTok, and meme culture from day one.
- They are digital natives: tech-savvy, fast-moving, and fluent in internet culture.
- Their humor, references, and communication are shaped by social media, gaming, and rapid-fire trends.
- Gen Alpha sets trends, shapes slang, and absorbs new ideas at lightning speed.
How to Use Gen Alpha Slang
Gen Alpha slang is playful, ever-changing, and rooted in meme, gaming, and internet culture. Here's how to use it effectively:
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Be Authentic: Only use slang you genuinely understand and vibe with. Forced use ("fellow kids" energy) gets clocked fast.
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Keep It Light: Sprinkle in slang naturally, don't overdo it. A clever phrase or two is enough to pass the vibe check.
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Stay Current: The meta changes fast—"skibidi," "rizz," "mid," "main character," and "vibe check" might be in now, but new words drop constantly.
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Match Your Audience: Use Gen Alpha slang with young users, on platforms like TikTok, X (Twitter), or in group chats. For more formal settings, keep it subtle.
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Focus on Transformation: Many Gen Alpha terms ("glow up," "main character energy," "huge W") celebrate self-improvement and wins. Use slang to highlight positive outcomes and progress.
Examples:
- "Go from mid to main character with decks that slay."
- "Slides that pass the vibe check—catch a huge W on your next project."
- "Lowkey turns brain rot into a presentation glow-up."
Bottom line: Gen Alpha slang is about vibes, not rules. Use it to connect, not to impress.
The Ultimate Gen Alpha Slang Glossary
Here's a list of Gen Alpha words and phrases you might encounter:
- it's giving: Evokes a certain vibe or aesthetic (e.g., "This outfit is giving main character energy.")
- delulu: Short for "delusional," often used playfully to describe someone with unrealistic hopes or beliefs, especially in a romantic context.
- cheugy boomer: Describes something outdated or "cringey," typically associated with millennial or older trends, combined with "boomer" as a general term for someone out of touch.
- lowkey: Subtly, modestly, or secretly. The opposite of "highkey."
- huge W: A big win or success.
- vibing: Chilling, relaxing, or enjoying the atmosphere.
- chat: Used to address a group of people, similar to "folks" or "everyone," often in online or streaming contexts.
- let's log in: A metaphorical way of saying "let's get started" or "let's engage with this."
- skibidi brain rot: Refers to nonsensical, over-stimulating, or low-quality content (often associated with "Skibidi Toilet" videos) that is perceived to negatively impact attention span or intellect.
- put the fries in the bag: An idiom meaning "get to the point" or "do the job efficiently."
- type: An interjection or affirmation, similar to "for real (fr)" or "period," used to strongly agree or emphasize a point.
- no cap: No lie, for real, honestly.
- dead assed: Seriously, completely, or truthfully. Often used for emphasis.
- absorb the drip: To appreciate or take in someone's style or coolness.
- drip: Style, coolness, fashionable attire, or impressive aura.
- get aired: To be ignored or have your messages/calls unanswered.
- High key: The opposite of "lowkey"; openly, obviously, or intensely.
- brain rot: Content considered mind-numbing, extremely online, or of low intellectual value.
- on God (OG): An affirmation of truth, similar to "I swear to God."
- it's giving linguistic glow-up core: A playful, meta way of saying that the language itself is undergoing a significant and stylish transformation, embodying a central theme of improvement.
- glow-up: A significant positive transformation, often in appearance or confidence.
- core: Used as a suffix to denote a particular aesthetic, vibe, or central theme (e.g., cottagecore, barbiecore).
- IRL: In Real Life.
- drop a gyat/gyatt: Refers to showing off or highlighting a large butt. Often used in a surprised or impressed tone. (Sometimes misspelled or misheard as "gat").
- legit: Legitimate, authentic, or genuinely good.
- patching the English language DLC: A gaming-inspired metaphor suggesting that Gen Alpha is adding new features (like "Downloadable Content") to the English language.
- shifting the English meta: Another gaming term ("metagame" referring to prevailing strategies) suggesting that Gen Alpha is changing the current trends and popular usage within the English language.
- cooking: Creating something impressive, excelling, or performing very well. (e.g., "He's cooking in the kitchen," or "Let him cook," meaning let him do his thing).
- pass the vibe check: To be deemed acceptable, cool, or having a good personality/aura.
- finna hit: About to be very impactful, successful, or good.
- Bet: Agreement, "for sure," "okay," or "I'm in."
- hits different: Evokes a unique, special, or more profound feeling than usual.
- pookie talk: Affectionate, sweet, or cutesy talk, often used in a playful or endearing way.
- give the deets: Provide the details.
- unlocking infinite drip: Achieving an ultimate level of style or coolness.
- catch dubs: Get wins (W's).
- squad: Close group of friends.
- stan: To be an obsessive or overly enthusiastic fan of someone or something.
- ghosted: When someone abruptly cuts off all communication without explanation. (Can also be used as a verb: ghost: To disappear or stop communicating suddenly, especially online. e.g., "He ghosted me after our first date.")
- sus: Suspicious or questionable.
- fam: Family, or a very close group of friends.
- rizz: Charisma, charm, or the ability to flirt and attract others successfully. Derived from "charisma." (e.g., "He has so much rizz, he charmed everyone instantly.")
- real one: An authentic, genuine, and trustworthy person.
- pull up: To arrive or show up at a place.
- Gigachad energy: Exuding extreme confidence, dominance, and attractiveness, often in an exaggerated or stereotypical masculine way.
- it's the X for me: A phrase used to highlight a specific (often impressive or funny) aspect of something. (e.g., "It's the confidence for me.")
- mid: Mediocre, average, or unimpressive.
- flex: To show off possessions, achievements, or abilities.
- infinite money glitch: A gaming term used metaphorically to describe a hack, loophole, or easy way to achieve success or gain something valuable.
- slaps: Is excellent, amazing, or very good (often referring to music or food).
- finna get pressed: About to get upset, annoyed, or agitated.
- chopped: Bad, ruined, messed up, or of poor quality.
- bestie: Best friend.
- salty: Bitter, resentful, or annoyed, often over something minor.
- dog water: Extremely bad, terrible, or of very low quality.
- OD: Short for "overdose," used to mean "extremely," "a lot," or "to an excessive degree."
- vibe with: To get along with someone, to like the atmosphere or energy of something.
- mog: To dominate someone else in terms of appearance or status, implying one person looks significantly better or is more imposing than another.
- go off: To speak passionately, rant, or perform impressively. Can also mean to get very angry or excited.
- conversational wizard: Someone highly skilled at conversation, charismatic, and engaging.
- that's the sauce: That's the secret ingredient, the special quality, or the key to success.
- stay goated: Remain the "Greatest Of All Time" (GOAT); continue being excellent.
- fr: For real; honestly, truthfully.
- rizz up that knowledge: To acquire knowledge with charisma, skill, or charm.
- Y'all are real ones: Acknowledging a group as genuine and trustworthy.
- yo chat: A way to address an online audience or group.
- what's good: A casual greeting, similar to "What's up?"
- in my main character era: A period where one is focusing on themselves, feeling like the protagonist of their own life story.
- Bro's out here: An exclamation noting someone's actions or presence, often in a humorous or surprised way.
- multilingual rizz: Having charisma or charm that transcends language barriers.
- looksmaxed out: Having optimized one's physical appearance to the fullest potential, often through grooming, style, and fitness.
- fit: Outfit.
- CEO of languages: Slang use of "CEO" to mean a master of something, in this case, languages.
- simping: Being overly eager to please or impress someone, often in a romantic context, sometimes to a self-deprecating extent.
- Let me cook: Let me do my thing; let me work my magic or show my skills.
- straight up Ohio coded: Describing something as weird, chaotic, unfortunate, or just generally bad, using "Ohio" as a slang pejorative.
- instant NPC behavior: Acting in a robotic, scripted, or non-individualistic way, like a Non-Player Character in a video game.
- get cooked: To be thoroughly defeated, embarrassed, outdone, or insulted.
- L: Loss, failure.
- highkey giving utterly immaculate vibes: Openly and obviously exuding a flawless and perfect atmosphere or energy.
- vibes: The general feeling, atmosphere, or energy of a person, place, or situation.
- mewing: A practice involving specific tongue posture aimed at improving jawline aesthetics. Used metaphorically, it can imply trying to subtly improve one's appearance or "look good" in a situation.
- brain rot skibidi slang: A derogatory term for the perceived nonsensical and overstimulating slang associated with internet subcultures like "Skibidi Toilet."
- stanning you: Being an obsessive fan of someone.
- pull aura points: To exude charisma, presence, or a captivating energy.
- No beta energy: Not displaying submissive, weak, or follower-like behavior.
- pure Sigma Rizzler vibes: Exuding the energy of a "Sigma male" (independent, confident, non-conformist) combined with "Rizzler" (someone with exceptional rizz/charisma).
- getting ratioed: On social media, when a reply to a post gets significantly more likes or engagement than the original post, often indicating disagreement or mockery of the original.
- Ohio ass translations: Extremely bad, nonsensical, or bizarre translations, using "Ohio" as a pejorative.
- lock in: To focus intently, to get serious and concentrate.
- flexing the drip: Showing off one's cool style or outfit.
- valid sauce: Good, legitimate, or authentic secret, essence, or special quality.
- ate and left no crumbs: Performed perfectly, flawlessly, or exceptionally well, leaving nothing to be criticized.
- feel snatched: Looking exceptionally good, well put-together, or fashionable; often refers to a well-defined waist or overall sharp appearance.
- quest marker: A gaming term used metaphorically to refer to an objective, goal, or indicator of what to do next.
- Get roasted: To be heavily insulted or criticized, usually in a humorous way.
- get humbled: To be brought down to earth or made to realize one is not as important or skilled as one thought.
- take the L's: To accept losses or failures.
- become the goat: To become the Greatest Of All Time.
- slay at this: To do something exceptionally well or impress.
- gyatt tax / phantom tax: A playful "tax" or admiration paid (often in comments or likes) when someone posts content showing off a large butt ("gyatt"). "Phantom" is likely a mishearing/mistranscription of "gyatt."
- tax that knowledge: To acquire, consume, or benefit from knowledge, often used playfully.
- Ate: Used to describe something impressive or outstanding. (e.g., "That presentation you gave totally ate!")
- Basic: Conforming to mainstream trends or lacking originality. (e.g., "Ugh, this outfit is so basic.")
- Big W / Big L: "W" stands for win and "L" for loss. Used to celebrate a victory (Big W) or acknowledge a defeat (Big L). (e.g., "We beat the level! Big W!" or "I choked my speech. Big L.")
- Bop: A catchy and enjoyable song. (e.g., "That new song is such a bop!")
- Bussin': Describes food that is exceptionally delicious. (e.g., "These cookies are bussin'!")
- Cap (verb): To lie or exaggerate. (e.g., "She said she bought a new iPhone, but she's capping.")
- Cheugy: Outdated, unfashionable, or uncool. (e.g., "Skinny jeans are so cheugy.")
- Clout: Influence, often gained through social media. (e.g., "That influencer has so much clout.")
- Cringe: A feeling of embarrassment or secondhand embarrassment. (e.g., "When he tripped on stage, it was major cringe.")
- Extra: Excessive, over-the-top, or dramatic. (e.g., "Her reaction to the movie was so extra.")
- Fanum Tax: Playfully taking a portion of someone else's food, popularized by streamer Fanum. (e.g., "He just took a Fanum Tax from my fries!")
- Fax: Means "facts" or "that's true." (e.g., "That test was harder than they said. Fax.")
- Finna: Contraction of "fixing to," meaning about to do something. (e.g., "I'm finna go to the store.")
- Fire: Excellent, amazing, or highly impressive. (e.g., "His performance at the show was fire!")
- GOAT: Acronym for "Greatest Of All Time." (e.g., "Many consider Michael Jordan the GOAT of basketball.")
- Gucci: Slang for "good" or "cool." (e.g., "I submitted my paper on time. All Gucci.")
- Ick: An expression of disgust or repulsion. (e.g., "The way he chews his food gives me the ick.")
- Lit: Exciting, amazing, or impressive. (e.g., "The party last night was so lit!")
- Low-vibrational: Describes someone or something with negative energy that brings down the mood. (e.g., "His constant complaining is very low-vibrational.")
- Mood: Expresses that something perfectly captures one's current emotional state or is relatable. (e.g., Sees a picture of a sleeping cat: "Mood.")
- Peep: To observe or notice something, often subtly. (e.g., "Did you peep his new haircut?")
- Period / Periodt: Emphasizes a statement or means "end of discussion." (e.g., "This is the best pizza, periodt!")
- Sheesh: Expresses surprise, disbelief, or admiration. (e.g., "Sheesh, that car is expensive!")
- Shook: Surprised, shocked, or stunned. (e.g., "When I heard the news, I was shook.")
- Shooketh: An exaggerated form of "shook," indicating being extremely surprised. (e.g., "She saw her favorite celebrity and was shooketh.")
- Slay (verb): To do something exceptionally well or to look amazing. (e.g., "She slayed that performance," or "Her outfit slays.")
- Sleeper / Sleeper Hit: Something or someone that becomes surprisingly successful or popular. (e.g., "That indie game was a total sleeper hit.")
- Snack: Someone who looks attractive or "tasty." (e.g., "Did you see the new lifeguard? Such a snack.")
- Snatched: Looking exceptionally good, stylish, or well put-together, especially one's physique or outfit. (e.g., "Her waist looks snatched in that dress.")
- Tea: Gossip or juicy information. (e.g., "Spill the tea! What happened after I left?")
- Thirsty: Desperate or overly eager, especially for attention, approval, or a romantic partner. (e.g., "He's always posting selfies; he's so thirsty.")
- Vibe Check (noun/verb): To assess the general mood or atmosphere, or someone's compatibility. (e.g., "Let's do a vibe check before we invite him," or "He failed the vibe check.")
- Woke: Socially aware of injustices and current affairs (can sometimes be used ironically). (e.g., "He's very woke and often discusses social issues.")
- Yeet: An exclamation of excitement, approval, or to add emphasis when throwing something forcefully. (e.g., "He yeeted the can into the bin from across the room.")
Conclusion
This list is by no means exhaustive, as Gen Alpha slang is constantly evolving. But hopefully, this gives you a leg up in understanding the youths! Keep vibing and stay goated!
