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

The worldwide surge in popularity of Korean culture, including K-pop, dramas, and film. The umbrella phenomenon K-pop belongs to.

A good-for-nothing rogue or clown. Used across Ulster and the north of Ireland for someone who's a bit of a wastrel — not quite a villain, more a layabout messer you wouldn't trust with a fiver. Related to the American 'hellion' but softer in tone.

The largest programming room at San Diego Comic-Con, where the biggest film and TV panels and announcements happen; famous for its enormous, often overnight, lines.

A cosplay designed for practicality and mobility so the wearer can walk the halls, sit, and socialize all day, as opposed to an elaborate stage-only build. Also hallway cosplay.

A U-shaped ramp made of two opposing quarterpipe transitions, usually with a flat section between them, used to build speed and pump back and forth.

A shot or pass struck at the exact moment the ball touches the ground, or just after, generating clean power.

A ramp shaped like a cross-section of a cylinder, made of two quarter-pipes facing each other across a flat bottom. It lets riders build speed and trick back and forth wall to wall.

To steal. Lift, nick, swipe — usually something small and opportunistic rather than armed robbery.

A jumping 180-degree turn performed while rolling backward, bringing the rider back to forward motion. It is named after the caballerial, itself named for skater Steve Caballero.

A repetition performed without completing the full range of motion, cutting the movement short.

A Cardiff/South Wales chippy and curry-house staple: your portion comes half chips, half rice, both under the same sauce. Born in the city's Chinese takeaways, now a near-religious order. Asking for it anywhere else in the UK gets you a blank stare.

In the A Button Challenge, an A press has three parts: pushing down, holding, and releasing. If you hold the button down from a previous level, that level only 'spends' part of the press, so it gets tallied as a half. That's how you get counts like 2.5x A presses.

Filthy. Caked in muck. Used for hands, kitchens, kids, pub toilets, anything that needs a proper scrub. Geordie staple — stronger than 'mucky', softer than outright disgust.

A powerful Māori group dance with chanting, foot-stamping and gestures, famously performed by the All Blacks before rugby matches.

hairdryer treatment

When a manager screams at a player so closely that it feels like standing in front of a hairdryer.

The discount a lender slaps on collateral before lending against it. Post 10 million in bonds, get a 5% haircut, borrow against 9.5. The buffer protects the lender if the collateral tanks before they can sell it.

A very long, low-percentage pass thrown toward a cluster of receivers near the end zone as time runs out, in hope of a touchdown.

To greet, salute or acknowledge someone; 'hail up mi bredren'.

Get away! — exclamation of disbelief when someone tells you something mad. Same job as 'no way' or 'you're having a laugh', delivered with full Tyneside lungs.

An expression of disbelief ('get away with you') or, in other contexts, encouragement.

A correctional officer. Dismissive inmate slang — the kind of word you mutter, not yell. Mostly heard in US prisons and some Irish/UK nicks. Carries built-in contempt.

Haba! expresses surprise, mild frustration, or reproach, similar to 'come on!' or 'ah, really?' in English. It has moved fully into Standard Nigerian English usage.

A thick, damp, cold sea fog that drifts in over the east coast of Scotland.

Shut up, hold your tongue. 'Haad' = hold, 'gob' = mouth. Can be playful between mates or proper sharp depending on tone — context does all the work.