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 fan who only stans one member and openly drags the rest — wishes they'd go solo, accuses the group of holding them back, refuses to acknowledge group wins. The fandom's most policed archetype.

Stands for "also known as," used to give an alternative name or identity.

Drunk, tipsy, sloshed. Also 'jumo' for the drunken state itself.

From 'jẹ pákó' (to eat wood/plank), the opposite of 'ajebutter'; describes someone from a hard background who grew up street-smart and resilient through struggle.

From 'jẹ bọ́tà' (to eat butter); describes someone raised in comfort and money, sometimes teasingly implying they're soft or unfamiliar with street life.

Polari for nearby or close at hand — a clipping of 'adjacent (to)'. Handy in the original cant for flagging that someone (a copper, a mark, a fit fella) was just over there without spelling it out. Nothing to do with the cleaning product or the Greek hero.

Post prefix from r/AmItheAsshole where someone lays out a recent conflict and asks strangers to rule on who was in the wrong. Verdicts come back as NTA, YTA, ESH or NAH. Half the posts are real, half are creative writing, and the comments treat both the same.

Describes cool, brisk, or drafty weather.

Someone perceived as ditzy, spacey, or out of touch with reality.

A distribution of free tokens to users' wallets, often to reward early adopters, bootstrap a community, or decentralise ownership. Users 'farm' airdrops by using protocols in hopes of qualifying.

A wildly off-target attempt that fails to hit the goal, rim or backboard at all.

A lap dance in name only. The dancer performs inches from the customer but never touches them, usually because the club, the city, or the state licence forbids contact. Common in juice bars and no-contact jurisdictions. Same price, no skin.

A shot attempt that fails to touch the rim, net, or backboard at all. Crowds famously chant 'air ball' in unison.

Used as a noun — 'getting air' means being ignored.

Used as an accusation or compliment when someone's aim is so good it seems fake.

A versatile expression conveying frustration, tiredness, or gentle exasperation. Idols use it constantly on variety shows.

Perhaps, possibly; used by Burns and older Scots writers.

Diminutive of 'ahora'; means 'right now' but often really means 'soon', 'in a while', or 'eventually'.

A distinctive cowlick — one prominent lock of hair that sticks up in a different direction from the rest. It is often used as a visual quirk and sometimes even seems to reflect the character's mood.

A tag seeking agreement, similar to 'innit'. Also 'ahlie though'.

Literally 'grass,' used as street slang for Indian hemp/marijuana, recorded among Otu-Onitsha traders and market-community speech.

An exclamation of protest, exasperation or indignation. 'Ah here, leave it out' signals disbelief or a limit reached.

Tells someone to wait or hold on a moment.

A large tailless rodent (Dasyprocta) hunted as wild game meat in parts of the Caribbean and South America.