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.

Browse slang by category

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

Browse slang by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Latest slang terms

To search, look for, or hunt something out. The headline use is 'charpering omi' — literally a 'searching man', i.e. a policeman — the very people Polari was built to talk around back when being gay could get you arrested.

Radio brevity spelling C-M in the phonetic alphabet for 'Continue Mission,' an order or affirmation to push on with the task at hand.

The letter C in the phonetic alphabet, and during the Vietnam War a general term for the Viet Cong, shortened from 'Victor Charlie' (VC).

Slang for the free-throw line, where uncontested 'free' points are available.

charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent

RuPaul's holy quartet of what makes a winning queen, and a sly acrostic: the first letters spell C.U.N.T., reclaimed here as the highest compliment. A euphemism that lets RuPaul say the quiet part on network TV. If you've got all four, you've got 'it'.

To surf big, dangerous waves with total commitment and no hesitation.

A narrow alley or street, especially in Newcastle.

A traditional hashish made by hand-rubbing live cannabis plants to collect resin.

Tea. Specifically the strong, milky, sweet builders' brew that's powered every British military operation since the empire. 'A cup of char' or 'a brew of char' is sacred.

chapstick lesbian

Sits right between lipstick lesbian and butch — leaning neither hard feminine nor hard masculine. The name says it all: she's not doing full lipstick and not doing none, just chapstick. Minimal makeup, often a sporty or low-maintenance vibe, comfortably androgynous. The term popped on a 1997 episode of Ellen and has had a fresh viral run on TikTok.

To knock or rap, especially on a door; 'chap the door'.

A cutesy Cuban goodbye — 'bye, fish!' — sometimes answered '¡y a la vuelta, picadillo!'.

One's house or home; a Chicano/border Spanglish term.

A con artist, fraud, or unreliable bluffer, someone who promises much and delivers nothing. The source is often linked to Genoese 'ciantapuffi' (a debtor who skips out, lit. 'plant-debts').

To denounce, resist or symbolically destroy something (esp. Babylon) through righteous song and chanting.

Channellock tongue-and-groove pliers. Another brand-eats-category situation: the Meadville, PA company made the adjustable slip-joint pliers so iconic that every plumber, electrician, and HVAC tech calls any version 'Channies' regardless of who made them. Spot them by the cyan-blue grips.

The gap on either side of central defence, between the full-back and the centre-back, that attackers try to exploit.

From the standard French 'mechant' (mean, wicked, nasty). Verlan inverts me-chant to chan-me. Like English 'wicked', it ironically came to mean great or awesome.

A small, informal business, shop, or stand.

To operate a small informal business or side hustle; from 'changarro'.

An untrustworthy opportunist looking to get away with something.

A diminutive name-suffix expressing affection or endearment, used for small children, young women, pets and close friends. Attaching it signals warmth and familiarity.

A perfectly executed lumbar puncture yielding cerebrospinal fluid with zero red blood cells (no traumatic contamination). Traditionally worth a bottle of champagne.

The upsell room. Curtained-off VIP space behind the main floor where a customer pays a hefty hourly rate (plus a bottle of overpriced champagne) for one-on-one time with a dancer. The club takes a cut, the dancer keeps the rest. It's where the real money in the building changes hands.