Generation Z, or Gen Z, refers to the generation born between 1997 and 2012. Gen Z, as we have come to understand, is the true native of the Internet. They grew up with smartphones, social media, and memes
around them. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that Gen Z has played a key role in shaping the lingo on the world wide web. “On fleek,” once used to describe someone attractive, is now “she/he ate” for the Gen Zs. Someone left a comment or opinion on an Instagram reel that was so out of touch and felt try hard? “Ok boomer” was the way to hit back at them. Gen Zs now simply calls them “unc” (short for uncle). Red flag or green flag highlights the traits in a partner, rather than just being literal warnings or signals.
In short, language evolves, but the essence largely remains the same. When slangs are routinely flung around with a dash of absurd humour, some of them stick and become the daily drivers for communication. Traditional dictionaries no longer ignore these terms and are beginning to acknowledge their existence. Incredibly, thoughts and ideas once considered complex can now be simplified and communicated more effectively.
We have compiled some of the most commonly used slang terms by Gen Z in no particular order, which have reshaped our societies and transcended cultures and boundaries.
Skibidi
Skibidi comes from the viral YouTube series Skibidi Toilet, a cartoon featuring human heads popping out of toilets. According to Cambridge Dictionary, skibidi can mean “cool,” “bad,” or sometimes nothing at all, used purely for comedic effect.
What was the most skibidi part?
Delulu
Delulu, a shorthand for delusional, started as a playful jab at obsessive K-pop fans but has since evolved into a way of calling out beliefs that aren’t exactly rooted in reality.
He’s so delulu, he thought he would cop the Coldplay tickets.
Unc
Unc is the shortening of the term “uncle”. It is often used as a humorous yet piercing jibe to call out thoughts, takes, or beliefs that are considered out of touch.
Steven has reached unc status, ignore him.
6-7
“67″ is Dictionary.com’s “Word of the Year”.
“Perhaps the most defining feature of 67 is that it’s impossible to define. It’s meaningless, ubiquitous, and nonsensical. In other words, it has all the hallmarks of brainrot. It’s the logical endpoint of being perpetually online, scrolling endlessly, consuming content fed to users by algorithms trained by other algorithms,” Dictionary.com noted.
But what does it mean?
Annabelle Canela, quoted by Merriam-Webster, describes it best: “Teens and adults alike have tried to explain it. Some say it means “so-so,” especially since kids often pair the phrase with an up-and-down hand motion. Others argue it refers to a person who is tall, some think it stands for a basketball term, and so on. The bottom line is, the term “six seven” is nonsensical—which is sort of the point. As one tween TikToker put it under another video, “I think the point is that it makes no sense.”
Also Read: Dictionary Dot Com’s ‘Word Of The Year’ Is A Number And The Internet Is Livid
Chopped, Cooked
Chopped/cooked isn’t a cue to a Gordon Ramsey meme, nor culinary skills. Chopped is often used to describe someone who is ugly, unattractive or undesirable.
Stella wore that dress. She looks chopped.
Cooked, on the other hand, can mean someone is in trouble or screwed.
I forgot my earphones at home. I’m so cooked.
Mid
Mid is used to describe something average or mediocre.
The OG Bhool Bhulaiyaa was funny. The sequels? Quite mid.
Washed
Someone who is no longer relevant, meaning they are outdated or aren’t as skilled as they used to be. Additionally, it can also describe the feeling of tiredness.
I’m so washed after attending the concert last night.
L/W
When someone takes an L, it means they accept a loss or defeat.
“You lost. Take this loss. Usually when you say/do something stupid and someone puts you in your place. Or when you get roasted. Pretty much whenever you look pathetic, you take an L,” a Reddit user describes.
Yesterday, Elon Musk got ratioed on his own platform. He should just take an L but he’s still going.
The inverse of taking an L is taking a W or win.
Locked In
Being hyper-focused on achieving a goal.
“To “lock in” means to enter a state of deep focus. The phrase is typically used to reference taking on a task or goal that requires intense concentration. Locking in is all about removing distractions and staying committed to the task at hand,” Merriam-Webster notes.
Ayan won’t come to the party. He has uni exams, he’s locked in.
Aura
A person who has the quality of being insanely cool.
SRK has an aura no other Bollywood actor can match!
Chat
Addressing the chat or audience while live streaming.
“Chat, am I cooked?”
Brainrot
Brainrot TikToks made us write this article.
“Brain rot refers to material of low or addictive quality, typically in online media, that preoccupies someone to the point it is said to affect mental functioning. Both the state of preoccupation and resulting mental degradation are known as brain rot,” Merriam-Webster notes.
This Netflix show is the perfect brainrot I needed for my holidays.
