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

A person who has withdrawn from society into near-total isolation, often confined to their room for months or years. A recurring, sympathetically explored character type in anime.

An exclamation of surprise, dismay, or concern, like 'jeez' or 'oh boy'.

High-Intensity Interval Training: cardio that alternates short, all-out bursts with brief recovery periods.

Describes someone or something absurdly fancy or self-important. A term of gentle mockery.

high-level emulation (hle)

Emulating a system by recreating its high-level functions, like intercepting a graphics call and drawing the result your own way, instead of simulating the actual chips cycle for cycle. Way faster, but less accurate, so it breaks on games that do weird things.

Openly, obviously, or to a great degree—the emphatic counterpart of 'low-key'.

Describes a very motivated, efficient service member; can be used sincerely or mockingly.

high serum porcelain

A joke 'blood test' result invented to label a patient as a malingerer, punning on porcelain (toilet) fixtures.

high on the hog

Enjoying prosperity or luxury; "eating high on the hog" means having the best cuts.

A showcase moment where a vocalist hits and holds an impressively high pitch, often at the song's climax, to display vocal strength.

Describing a general, big-picture view as opposed to specifics.

A fastball thrown hard and high in the strike zone, tough to catch up to.

Any position above the normal play space. You see them before they see you, you shoot down on them, and they have to climb to even contest. Holding high ground is half the fight in most shooters.

A variant of the buzz cut in which the hair is clipped very close, shaved up to the parietal ridge — strongly associated with Marines and the source of the 'jarhead' nickname.

The spell that converts an item into coins on the spot. Classic way to train Magic while making money — alch a junk item every few seconds for hours.

The euphoric, altered state produced by consuming cannabis.

Stands for "how I feel when," used to caption a relatable reaction, often with a GIF or image.

An electrician's hand tool for putting bends in rigid conduit — a short hooked head on a handle you walk down the pipe, making the bend in small increments. Old-school, slow, and easy to kink if you rush. Mostly displaced by proper shoe benders, but still in every veteran's truck.

A temporary pause in an artist's promotions or public schedule, whether for rest, health, or preparation. Distinct from disbanding.

Not a tall building — in New Orleans 'the Hi-rise' means the steep elevated section of Interstate 10 that humps up and over the Industrial Canal east of downtown. Every local knows it as a traffic landmark and a geographic divider — 'past the Hi-rise' means you're heading into New Orleans East. The grade is sharp enough that 18-wheelers crawl up it and back-ups stretch for miles.

Have Fun Staying Poor — the standard crypto comeback to anyone who criticises Bitcoin, calls it a bubble, or says they'll never buy. A condescending kiss-off that assumes the speaker has already made it and the doubter is condemned to a life of fiat wage slavery. Reads as smug when crypto's up, embarrassing when it's down.

The softer cousin of HEA. The couple is together and happy at the end, but no white-picket-fence guarantee. Common in series romance, new adult, and anything where the author wants room to keep stirring the pot.

A global Twitch emote used as a greeting when someone enters chat.

The archetypal opening line of a creepy DM from a Discord moderator to a younger user. Used in memes and replies as instant shorthand for 'this guy is the predatory-mod stereotype' — you don't need to write the rest, everyone knows where it goes.