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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Latest slang terms

Thrown around jokingly about anyone who's clingy or jealously protective of a hobby or person.

Mad, daft, barmy — affectionately so. Used in Birmingham and the Black Country for someone behaving foolishly or eccentrically. Not a serious insult; more 'you absolute wally'.

The dried matter that gathers at the eye corners, especially in the morning. Also yampee.

Robbed. Cleaned out — chain, watch, wallet, sometimes dignity. Heard constantly in NYC drill diss bars where claiming an opp got yammed is a flex.

Often stretched to 'yamero' or the cutesy 'yamete kudasai' for extra dramatic effect in memes.

yamato nadeshiko

An archetype embodying the classic feminine virtues of traditional Japan — gentle, modest, graceful, loyal and domestically accomplished.

What Brummies call people from the Black Country (Dudley, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Tipton and surrounds). Mocking but mostly affectionate — the rivalry between the two areas is real but rarely venomous. Black Country folk generally don't use the term about themselves.

To 'yam' someone is to rob or steal from them in UK street slang. Being 'yammed' means being robbed.

A shout of delight, celebration or excitement.

A pitch that breaks sharply and doesn't follow a straight path, especially a curveball.

Work, particularly hard physical labour.

Describes online fraud ("Yahoo Yahoo") and, by extension, the person committing it; a defining, if notorious, part of Nigerian internet-era street slang.

A dancehall exclamation used to greet or big up a good friend or to grab attention; a sign of camaraderie.

All-purpose Bay Area sentence-ender — slurred 'you know what I mean?' compressed into one word. Less a question than a verbal nod. Popularised by Keak da Sneak and baked into the hyphy era.

An extremely versatile slang word signalling that something is intense — it can mean awesome, dangerous, awful or unbelievable depending on context and delivery.

Means to tease or needle someone with pointed, witty remarks — ranging from light banter to biting social commentary. The related noun "yabis" describes this style of verbal sparring, famously used by Fela Kuti to satirize politicians and society.

One's home or house; more broadly, 'Yard' refers to Jamaica itself as the homeland.

Your mother and whoever else is at the house — siblings, aunties, grandkids, the cousin who's been on the sofa for three weeks. A whole household greeted in one breath.

Your mother and the rest of your immediate family, collectively. Built into the city's basic greeting — 'How's ya mamma'n'em?' is the NOLA version of 'how's the family?' and not answering with actual updates is mildly rude.

A fashion and design aesthetic reviving early-2000s style: low-rise jeans, baby tees, velour tracksuits, tiny sunglasses, and butterfly clips.

A stand-in in reader-insert fan fiction meant to be mentally replaced with the reader's own name, casting them as a character.

A contraction of "you all" used to address two or more people, and occasionally a single person as part of an implied group. The hallmark of Southern speech.

Represents "hugs and kisses" (X for kisses, O for hugs), used as an affectionate closing.

'Executive Officer' — the second-in-command of a military unit or ship, responsible for administration and day-to-day operations, standing in for the commanding officer as needed.