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

An old jazz-era term for a marijuana cigarette.

In Canadian prisons this isn't the harmless word it is outside. 'Goof' is the worst thing you can call another inmate — it accuses them of being a rat, a skinner, or generally beneath contempt. It's a fighting word in the literal sense: if you're called a goof and don't swing, the wing assumes the label fits.

gooey butter cake

A flat, rich St. Louis cake with a gooey, buttery top and a firmer crust, dusted with powdered sugar.

The last live performance of a title track as a group wraps up a promotion cycle. Often emotional and features special outfits or messages.

A high-quality, independent and successful woman; a compliment celebrating a 'good' woman.

A sardonic phrase for a bad experience reframed as valuable practice, since anything short of death or a commander's relief counts.

Time deducted from a sentence for staying out of trouble and following the rules. Losing it is a common punishment.

An attractive person, or a thoroughly decent, likeable one, depending on context.

good on ya mate

A warm expression of praise or thanks to a friend.

An expression of approval or congratulation; occasionally sarcastic.

Accurate, useful information or the true facts.

An expression of gratitude, short for 'good looking out.' Acknowledges someone doing you a favor.

A wholesome exclamation of surprise or mild annoyance used in place of profanity.

Houston code for lean — prescription codeine cough syrup mixed with soda (usually Sprite) and a Jolly Rancher, sipped from a double styrofoam cup. 'Good' is the giveaway; regular drink is regular drink.

Originally the friendliest word on the CB. In the 70s boom, 'good buddy' meant a fellow CBer, a pal on the channel, someone you'd shoot the breeze with at 3am on I-80. Films and pop songs turned it into the cliché trucker greeting everyone recognised.

An expression meaning everything is fine, or that a person is doing well or is trustworthy.

gonnae no dae that

A request (often exasperated or humorous) for someone to stop doing something.

A goniff is a thief, swindler, or dishonest person. The word passed from Yiddish into American underworld and general slang.

When a plan, a person, or a head has gone off the rails. 'Me head's gone west' means I'm losing the plot; 'the night went west' means it derailed. Same vibe as 'pear-shaped' but with more drama.

British shorthand for an older patient who has abruptly lost the ability to mobilise, a common non-specific presentation. Abbreviated GOL.

gone for a burton

RAF euphemism for a pilot killed or shot down. Said with the stiff-upper-lip understatement of a generation that couldn't say 'dead' out loud. The aircrew slang equivalent of stepping out for a moment and never coming back.

Slang for missing in action — someone who has disappeared, as if they 'left the building' like Elvis.

Slang for a patient enclosed in an oxygen tent, as if camping under canvas.

Carried away by music or feeling, lost in it to the point of transcendence.