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

Describes a trick landed clumsily or off-balance, or a spot/surface that is unsafe or poorly built. Something 'sketchy' looks like it could go wrong at any moment.

A rap ad-lib imitating screeching tires, dropped in to add energy or signal a getaway/swerve. A trap and drill vocal tic.

To have a look or a nosy stare; also to squint. Lancashire/Manchester and Northern.

To slap or smack, typically with an open hand. Classic threat from Scottish parents and grannies — 'I'll skelp yer arse' is practically a national lullaby.

A splinter, usually in the skin; can also describe a very thin person.

A dance comprising a backwards rolling motion of the shoulders while one arm stays extended and the other rests on the waist or chest, introduced in Davido's 2013 record of the same name.

Slang for someone extremely thin or bony, sometimes ripped but with very little muscle mass.

What New Orleans calls a dragonfly. The folk belief is they eat skeeters (mosquitoes), so they're hawks of skeeters. Skeeta hawks are which is true enough that nobody questions it — dragonflies do eat mosquitoes by the hundred.

An acknowledgment meaning 'I see' or 'got it.' It's a contraction of 'I've seen / I see.'

To flee quickly or clear out fast. Often an urging: "y'all better skedaddle."

To avoid real work by always having something else to do or an easier duty; as an adjective, a job that is cushy and low-effort.

To dance to reggae or ska with a characteristic loose-limbed step; separately, to cheat or con someone.

A rough, working-class Dubliner — Ireland's equivalent of 'chav' or 'ned'. Uniform: tracksuit, runners, gold chain, Lacoste cap. It's a class slur dressed up as a fashion observation, mostly used by middle-class Dubliners about people from the inner city or the outer estates. Use with the awareness that it punches down.

Social Justice Warrior. Used by the right and the disgruntled centre to dismiss anyone arguing for progressive causes online — the implication being they're loud, performative, and more interested in clout than the cause. The label tells you more about the person using it than the person being labelled.

Another name for lean — prescription codeine syrup cut into Sprite. The spelling comes straight out of the slow Houston drawl on the word 'syrup.' Three 6 Mafia's 2000 track 'Sippin' on Some Syrup' is the moment it broke nationally.

The first 360-degree read of an incident: what's burning, how big, who's inside, what's exposed, what resources do I need. Done out loud over the radio by the first-arriving officer and updated continuously.

A key reserve who does not start but plays significant minutes, effectively a sixth starter.

Used as a chaotic interruption or punchline whenever the numbers six and seven appear in any context, hijacking the moment.

Slang from clock-position bearings meaning directly to the rear ('your six'); also used in callsigns where the numeral six denotes the commander of a unit.

situationshipping

The ongoing act of being in a situationship, dating someone seriously enough to feel involved but deliberately avoiding definition or commitment.

situationship-proof

Being deliberate about seeking clarity and commitment so as not to fall into an ambiguous situationship.

situationship-coded

Describing behavior or a dynamic that clearly resembles a situationship rather than a committed relationship.

situationship survivor

A humorous label for a person who has endured and moved past a difficult, ambiguous situationship.

situationship season

A period, often summer, when noncommittal situationships are especially common.