Teen slang words guide
What are they saying?
If you're looking for a guide to teen slang used in 2024, then you've come to the right place!
In the luna app, we hear from thousands of teens and have a dedicated team of teen ambassadors who have given us their insight into the slang terms they use, how they use them, and what they actually mean.
We've organised this in alphabetical order for easy reading, and we'll keep this updated as we learn new UK slang terms from our community of teens đź’ˇ
If you want more, you can also discover the emojis teens are using right now, what's cool, and what they mean via our guide.
“Alpha”: often referring to a crush, someone who’s powerful or dominant in social settings
"Ate": means someone did something really well
"Be for real" (BFR): a call for honesty or to stop exaggerating, often calling another out
“Beg” or “Beggy”: used to describe someone who is too eager to gain attention, approval, or material benefits from others, often seen as insincere or desperate
“Bed rotting” sometimes “Rotting: popularised on social media, this means staying in bed all day, often on devices, and not practising self care or avoiding responsibilities – sometimes due to a poor mood, or just not feeling up to doing anything
“Beige flag”: quirky behaviour or attributes, often in a romantic partner, that are neither positive (green) nor negative (red)
“Brainrot”: Oxford Dictionary definition: “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging”
“Brat” or "Brat summer": no longer just a term used to describe a petulant person, this has expanded to a new meaning, credited to performer Charlie XCX through the marketing of her album "Brat"; it means going against the grain, doing the unexpected, messiness, creativity, and self-expression – a resistance to all things curated, "perfect" and conventional
"Cooked": this can mean "you’re done" or "that’s over"
“Demure”: popularised recently on social media, this means being mindful, considerate and modest – often used to explain how someone has dealt with a tricky situation e.g. a disagreement at work or a public breakup
“Extra”: used to describe a person who is trying too hard or going too far
"FR": short for "for real," used to agree with someone
“Giving”: “it’s giving” means something is generally positive; also used to describe other connotations, so “it’s giving alpha” might mean something is giving powerful vibes
“G.O.A.T.E.S.T”: an exaggerated version of G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time), meaning someone or something that is the absolute best
“Gyatt”: used to express excitement, surprise, or admiration, often as an exclamation in reaction to seeing a large bum or curvy figure – it's often used as a noun and a hashtag
"Iykyk" (if you know, you know): used for inside jokes or shared knowledge of context
"Jarring": annoying or agitating
"Leave": used to indicate someone is being annoying or embarrassing
“Lore”: background information on someone or something often going back years; possibly secrets or in the case of celebrities, things that the true fans would know
"Mental": used as slang for something crazy or unexpected
“Ohio”: not just a US state, but a synonym for anything strange or a bit cringey - used as an adjective
“Pink Tote Lid Moment”: a social media trend in which teens, as well as adults on a smaller scale, share unsettling stories about their experiences arguing and disagreeing with a parent
"Rizz": short for charisma, the ability to charm or attract someone
"Roadman": UK slang referring to someone who dresses in streetwear and engages in stereotypically urban behaviour
"Sigma": refers to someone who’s independent, confident, and successful – example: "Sigma rizz" = "you’ve got game."
"Sigma" or "Skibidi rizzler": refers to someone who is popular or has charisma
"Skibidi": doesn’t actually mean anything, can mean something is “bad” or “cool” but it can also simply be used as a word or meme to confuse people or to start a joke
"Slay": used to describe something impressive or someone who performed very well
“Sus”: shortened version of suspicious, or weird
"Womp womp": used to mock someone doing something embarrassing/bad, like the sound
"WTF": common phrase for expressing confusion or disbelief, meaning "what the [expletive]"
How we created this article:
luna's team of experts comprises GPs, Dermatologists, Safeguarding Leads and Junior Doctors as well as Medical Students with specialised interests in paediatric care, mental health and gynaecology. All articles are created by experts, and reviewed by a member of luna's senior review team.
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