10 Internet-Famous Gen Z Terms, Explained
There's more to the lingo than just "rizz."
(SPOT.ph) "Pookie, NGL, but GYAT fr. IJBOL. Girlypop, you're delulu."
We sh*t you not. A couple of Gen-Z officemates just had this exchange over on our group chat, and the millennials in our team know we're not the only ones scratching our heads in confusion. In the age of TikTok, Instagram stories, and Snapchat, young folk these days—oh, god, this sounds ancient—or the collective Gen-Z has developed a lingo similar to the "LOL," "v," and "cray" of millennials back when Yahoo Messenger and Multiply were cool.
We know it's eye-roll inducing and cringe-worthy at times, but you can't deny its use and prevalence in everyday talk. If you need more convincing, just this week, the Oxford Dictionary, one of the oldest and most complete English language dictionaries, crowned the Gen-Z term "rizz" as its 2023 Word of the Year. This means that it has attracted great interest over the last 12 months and is in the company of Words of the Year like "vax," "goblin mode," and many more. This year, it was extra special for the young ones as two other Gen-Z terms, "Swiftie" and "situationship" also made it to the shortlist and if you don't know what those mean, then you really need this guide.
Don't worry. We've come up with a list of 10 Gen-Z slang words that we think you might hear when you converse with the youth. Think of this as your dictionary to the ever-evolving vocab of kids today and impress (or surprise) them that you know what they're saying.
Also read:
10 Very Odd Modern Slang Terms Translated for the Boomers and Young-Once
10 New Slang Words We Learned Spending Too Much Time on the Internet
Here are 10 Gen-Z slang words and their meaning to keep you in the loop:
FR or FRFR
How to use it: FR stands for "for real."It often expresses agreement, confirmation, and sympathy toward another's sentiment.
Example: Person A: I can't believe we lost the game.
Person B: Fr, though. I thought we had it in the bag.
Girlypop
How to use it: A term of endearment for a constantly slaying queen. Someone who is stereotypically feminine, bubbly, and nice. Overall, someone with female energy who you want to be friends with.
Example: Person to their girl friend: Thank you so much for helping me out, Girlypop. You're the best!
IJBOL
How to use it: IJBOL means "I Just Burst Out Laughing." This is the Gen-Z equivalent to LOL, or laugh out loud and LMAO, or laughing my ass off. It's generally a way to communicate to someone you are messaging that what they said was extremely funny or witty. Be careful, though. Just like the usage of LOL vs. lol, Gen-Zs prefer using lowercase ijbol. The use of lowercase shows that you are not shouting or obnoxious online. Capital letters are only necessary for IJBOL when you’re expressing something that is also completely and utterly shocking and funny. In other words, use capital letters sparingly.
Example: Person A: *sends a meme*
Person B: ijbol
Roman Empire
How to use it: Roman Empire is something you think about constantly or on a regular basis. Based on accounts on TikTok and Reddit, the term originated from the belief that men think about the Roman Empire more than they care to admit. There's even a TikTok trend where women ask the men in their lives how often they think about the Roman Empire or to share the last time they thought about it. Based on their answers, if you haven’t been thinking about the Roman Empire, or whatever it is that counts as your version of it, as frequently as every day or at least three to four times a month, you're doing it wrong.
Example: Thinking about my next meal is my Roman Empire.
Take an L or Take the L
How to use it: This simply means "Take a Loss or Take the Loss." It is often associated with events that are not particularly satisfactory or something they do not like.
Example: I really took an L on that exam. 60/100 is bad for my grades.
Canon Event
How to use it: A canon event is an influential moment in someone's life. It is something that has greatly affected them in a great way. It's often a comical event that you wouldn't change for the world. Think of it as a necessary rite of passage.
Fun fact: Its origins come from the film Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse. In an explainer article, pop-culture site Mashable reports that Canon events play a crucial role in the plot and the very foundation of the Spider-Verse. In the film Spider-Man 2099, Miguel O'Hara explains that canon events are the shared experiences that bind the Spider-Verse together and make each Spider-Man, Spider-Man.These include getting bit by a radioactive spider, losing a parental figure, and the death of a police captain close to Spider-Man. Not every Spider-Man experiences all the same canon events, but regardless, these events are core to Spider-Man's identity.
Example: Jung Kook performing the explicit version of Seven Days is my canon event of the year.
GYAT
How to use it: GYAT is an acronym commonly associated with the phrase "Girl, Your Ass Thicc." It's a compliment for someone who is curvy and has quite a prominent bottom. However, other uses for GYAT have also come out, specifically in younger speakers. Teenagers might also use GYAT as a substitute for "Goddamn."
Example: Whoa, those pants are great! GYAT!
Did you see that trick shot? Gyat damn!
Delulu
How to use it: Delulu is short for delusional. It is often used to describe someone who has unrealistic expectations or beliefs generally pertaining to the realm of relationships, celebrity fandom, or other areas where people may have exaggerated fantasies.
Example: Girl, he doesn't care about you. Quit being delulu.
Pookie
How to use it: No, that's not what it means. Get your head out of the gutter. Pookie is actually a term of endearment for someone you find cute and adorable. It can also describe adorable creatures like pets, babies, and other objects.
Example: Oh pookie! Look at you in your adorable pink dress. You're so cute.
Beige Flag
How to use it: A beige flag is a term used to indicate behaviors that aren't exactly turn-offs or dealbreakers but they aren't necessarily a plus either. This term got popularized on TikTok as a trend for simultaneously flexing and roasting a romantic partner.
Example: Needing to eat something sweet after eating something salty is one of my beige flags.
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