English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology

Slang Dictionary — Modern Slang, Decoded

What does that word actually mean? Our slang dictionary explains modern slang clearly — Gen Z, internet, British and street slang — with real definitions, examples and where each term came from.

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Gen Z Slangrizz, delulu, slay Internet Slangbrainrot, based, mid British Slangpeng, bare, peak AAVEbussin, finna, cap

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Latest slang terms

Describes someone with significant muscle development, close to competitive-bodybuilder territory, combined with low body fat.

jack-in-the-box

Nursing slang for a patient who repeatedly pops up out of bed or chair despite being unable or unsafe to stand, like a jack-in-the-box.

jack the ripper

Cockney rhyming slang for a kipper (smoked herring), and also for a stripper.

Rhymes with 'own'. Almost never said in full — it lives in the wild as 'on my Jack', meaning by yourself, no one with you. The 'Jones' falls off, leaving the rhyme buried so deep most people using it have no idea where it came from.

To steal, rob or take by force. Carjack, jack a phone, jack someone for their chain. Crossed over from American hip-hop slang into MLE decades ago and is now fully naturalised.

A short, sharp fake step toward the defender to get them to move, creating a driving or shooting lane.

In Nigerian markets, jaara is the small bonus item, extra scoop, or discount a seller adds after a purchase as a goodwill gesture toward a loyal or friendly customer. It has spread from market lingo into general Nigerian slang for any small bonus or freebie in any context.

A prisoner classified as psychiatrically disturbed — the guy who might talk to the wall for an hour then try to bite a guard. The 'J' refers to California Department of Corrections category J, the designation for inmates needing psychiatric housing. You give a J-Cat a wide berth.

An acronym signalling that something is understood only by insiders or those deep in the space, without spelling it out.

The common Pidgin word for wife, especially a newly married one, borrowed directly from Yoruba.

iyashikei-adjacent

Describes shows in the soothing, low-conflict comfort-watch mode of iyashikei — cozy, slow and gentle — used loosely for anything relaxing to watch.

A sub-genre designed to soothe the viewer, portraying characters living quiet, peaceful lives in tranquil settings with little conflict. It aims to relax and 'heal' the audience.

The modified vocabulary developed by Rastafarians (e.g. 'ital', 'irie', 'overstand') that reshapes English to reflect their worldview.

A Māori tribe, the largest everyday social grouping, descended from a common ancestor.

The rapid collapse of an option's implied volatility — and therefore its price — right after a scheduled event like earnings, even when the trader guessed direction correctly.

Implied volatility: the market's forecast of how much an asset will move, which directly inflates or deflates option prices. High IV makes options expensive.

Forum and Reddit shorthand for In This Thread, used to call out the prevailing vibe of the replies — usually with sarcasm. "ITT: people who didn't read the article" is the classic form.

'Inside the Perimeter' — meaning within I-285, the highway loop that rings Atlanta. ITP is the real city: walkable-ish, denser, where the culture lives. Used as identity, not just geography.

'In the money': an option whose strike is favorable versus the current price, giving it real intrinsic value. Safer and pricier than OTM lottery tickets.

To refine something over successive cycles based on feedback or testing.

A vehicle covered in decals, paint and artwork of anime, manga or game characters — especially cute girls. The name self-mockingly acknowledges how 'cringe' or wince-inducing it can look.

Describes food or a lifestyle that is natural, additive-free and vital; central to Rastafarian living. Ital food is typically vegetarian and salt-free.

The Japanese cry of pain, equivalent to 'ouch' or 'that hurts', frequently heard in comedic and action moments alike.

A set phrase spoken before a meal expressing gratitude for the food, roughly 'I humbly receive'. Anime characters almost invariably say it, hands together, before eating.