English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology

Internet Slang

What do these Internet Slang words mean? Clear definitions, real examples and the origin of each term — kept clean and easy to read.

Internet Slang Terms

A jokey points system for how cool or composed you are. Do something smooth and you "gain aura"; embarrass yourself and you "lose aura points".

Admirably true to yourself and unafraid of what others think — saying what you believe regardless of whether it's popular. The rough opposite of "cringe".

Low-quality, hyper-addictive online content — or the mental fog and short attention span that comes from consuming too much of it.

Outdated or trying slightly too hard — describing tastes and trends (often millennial ones) that are seen as no longer cool.

The imaginary "drug" you're on when you cope with a disappointment through denial or wishful thinking. To "huff copium" is to refuse to accept a bad result.

Compulsively scrolling through a feed of bad or distressing news, unable to stop even though it makes you feel worse.

A spectacularly bad mistake or failure — one so complete, public, or badly timed that it loops back around to being funny. Used as a standalone reaction to a video, screenshot, or story of something going hilariously wrong.

A distinct phase in someone's life, style or mood — often used self-mockingly for a short-lived habit or look.

An exaggeratedly capable, confident and admirable person — usually used half-jokingly to praise someone for a strong or unbothered move.

Playful, self-aware logic used to justify a purchase or spending decision, e.g. treating something bought with cash as "free".

living my best life

A cheerful way to describe being happy and fulfilled, often used a little ironically about small everyday pleasures.

A person's or thing's backstory — the accumulated history and context that explains them. To "drop lore" is to reveal a surprising bit of your past.

main character energy

Carrying yourself with the confidence of someone who believes their own life is worth telling a story about.

Mediocre — distinctly average and not worth the hype. A dismissive rating for something overrated.

On social media, when a reply to a post gets far more likes than the post itself — a sign the crowd sided against the original poster. To "ratio" someone is to bury their take this way.

Describing something that occupies your thoughts constantly, unpaid and uninvited — it "lives in your head rent free".

Making you laugh uncontrollably — something so funny it "sends" you into laughter.

An extremely devoted fan of a celebrity or public figure, or to support someone that intensely.

To step away from the internet and reconnect with the real world. Usually said to someone who has spent too long arguing or posting online.

A euphemism for "kill" or "die", used to discuss death without tripping the automatic content filters of platforms like TikTok and YouTube.

To talk at length, often about not very much. A "yapper" won't stop talking, and "yapping" is going on and on.