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 start of a ride, when the surfer catches the wave, pops up and drops down its face.

take your show on the road

To cause problems serious enough that you are transferred out; 'blowing the spot.'

take this offline

To continue a conversation privately or one-on-one rather than in front of the whole group, often to avoid derailing a meeting.

take the mickey

To mock, tease or make fun of someone; also 'take the mick'.

To suffer a loss, failure, or embarrassment — the 'L' standing for loss. Often 'took an L.'

take it to the next level

To elevate the quality, scale, or performance of something.

To take pre-emptive action in one's own interest before someone else can use something against you.

take him off the dribble

To use dribbling to get past a defender for a drive or shot.

take for a ride

To 'take someone for a ride' is to lure or force them into a car and kill them, a signature gangland execution method.

Inside, this means to start swinging on someone — a fists-only attack, no shanks involved. It's the verb for jumping a guy in the dayroom or rushing a cellie who's been in your locker. The 'flight' is the flurry of punches, not the running away.

To take a powder is to depart hastily, especially to escape trouble or the police.

An order to halt and take a short rest, literally kneeling; also figuratively to pause and think.

To 'take a fall' is to be arrested or convicted; taking a fall for someone means accepting blame to shield the real culprit.

take a chill pill

An instruction to relax or calm down, said to someone who's worked up or overreacting.

Positive conditions helping a business grow or move faster.

A trick where the frame and rear wheel spin a complete rotation around the head tube while the rider and bars stay relatively still, then the rider lands back on the pedals. One of BMX's signature moves.

A trick where the rider lands on the deck or lip of a ramp on the rear tire only, holding the brakes for a momentary tap before rolling back down. It is a controlled transition stall.

A slide trick in which the rider slides along a ledge or coping on the underside of the tail of the board.

A ready-made manufactured cigarette, as opposed to a hand-rolled one; a small luxury inside.

tail-end charlie

The rear gunner sealed into the tail turret of a heavy bomber — Lancaster, Halifax, B-17. Freezing, isolated, and statistically the crewman most likely to die: enemy night fighters made the tail their first target to knock out defensive guns. Life expectancy on Bomber Command tours was brutal, and Tail-end Charlie wore the worst odds of all.

The rear end of the skateboard deck, upturned to allow the rider to pop it against the ground for ollies and other tricks; typically shorter than the nose.

Grandfather, the North Wales word. Pronounced 'tide'. Pairs with 'nain' for grandmother. South Wales families use 'tad-cu' instead — the north/south split is sharp and people get a bit territorial about it.

Getting shot in CS doesn't just chunk your HP, it slows you down for a beat. That slow is the tag. Get tagged mid-peek and you're a sitting duck because you can't reposition fast enough.

To get the first hit in on a monster so the kill and loot are credited to you. In a crowded spot it's a land-grab.