Understanding Gen Z slang: A Guide for millennials

If you’re a millennial, chances are you’ve been hit with slang that leaves you completely baffled.

Words like “drip” or “slay” might seem simple enough, but to Gen Z, they have entirely different meanings.

This younger generation has taken everyday vocabulary and spun it into their own unique language. 

So if you're a parent or even a grandparent, it might be worth picking up a few of these phrases just to stay in the loop. 

You never know when you’ll need to decode a conversation between them or even understand what they’re saying to you.

That said, just because you manage to understand the slang doesn’t mean you can start using it. 

Most Gen Zers find it deeply embarrassing when older generations try to talk like them.

Of course, that hasn’t stopped some from giving it a shot, often with hilarious results.

Take TikTok user Ben Boyce, for example. He’s a dad to two teenage daughters and loves to embarrass them by dropping Gen Z slang into his videos. 

The only catch is that he rarely uses the words correctly. This only adds to his daughters' embarrassment as they beg him to stop.

In another instance, two zoo employees posted a TikTok where they explained what guests could expect during a visit. They do this by smoothly weaving in Gen Z slang. 

Impressively, they nailed the usage and kept a straight face the entire time.

Then there’s a viral clip from the Royal Armouries, where a staff member gives a tour while sprinkling in trendy lingo. 

While his effort to sound “with it” is entertaining, the slang often has little to do with what he’s actually describing.

Whether they’re using the words right or hilariously wrong, one thing’s clear: the generational slang gap is real, and it’s making for some pretty entertaining content online.

Here are a few words and phrases, according to Gabb, that you might want to learn if you want to keep up with Gen Z.

• Ate and left no crumbs: Refers to someone who did something so well that there’s no chance for anyone else to do it better.
• Amped: Excited
• Basic: Someone who is unoriginal and only interested in popular, trending things.
• Bussin’: Something is really good.
• Delulu: Abbreviation for Delusional.
• Drip: Stylish in appearance.
• Extra: Attention-grabbing or dramatic.
• Ghost: Cutting off communication with someone with no explanation.
• Here for this: Excited about something, showing support.
• Let them cook: Trusting someone’s abilities and giving them the freedom to handle things their own way.
• Lit: Exciting, excellent, or intoxicated.
• Mid: Average or not great.
• On fleek: Perfectly done, exactly right, excellent.
• Rizz: The ability to seduce or charm a potential love interest.
• Sending me: Response to a funny text message, expressing extreme amusement.
• Slap: Amazing or excellent.
• Snack: Someone who is attractive or appealing, often in a physical sense.
• Sus: Suspicious, suspect.
• Tea: Gossiping about something.
• Understood the assignment: When someone goes above and beyond.
• Vanilla: Ordinary, boring, lacking special features.
• Zaddy: A handsome, fashionable, older man.

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