A (very incomplete) guide to Gen Z language
A survival guide for older people who can’t make heads or tails of the messages that their new Gen Z co-workers are writing in Slack.
This short guide explains common words, phrases, and emojis that you might see used by Gen Z in the workplace and on social media. There are plenty more examples of Gen Z-specific slang, but I’m focussing primarily on the subset that you’re likely to encounter in the workplace.
Words and phrases
| Word or phrase | What it means |
|---|---|
| bougie (also boujee) | Derived from “bourgeois”. Used to describe something that’s (overly) fancy. |
| bussin’ | Used to describe something that’s really good. |
| (no) cap | “Cap” (“lie”) isn’t actually new, but has found a new audience in Gen Z. Often used in the form “no cap”, meaning truthful. |
| CEO | A “CEO of x” is someone who’s good at x, e.g. “CEO of shitposting”. |
| cheugy | Used to describe someone or something that’s no longer cool; for example, one might say that people who write guides that explain Gen Z language are cheugy. |
| drip | Used to compliment someone’s look or style. |
| fam | Short for “family”, meaning “your people” in the broad sense of the word, e.g. your friends and closest colleagues. |
| hits different | Used to describe something that’s really good, and could almost be called life-changing. |
| I’m dead/weak | Said when someone has “died” from laughter. |
| iykyk | If you know, you know. Often used for inside jokes and things that you normally wouldn’t talk about at the office. |
| lit | Used to describe something that’s cool or exciting. Closely related to the idea of something being “on fire”. |
| living rent-free | If something lives rent-free in your head, it means that you think about it all day. |
| main character | Someone who behaves like a main character in a movie or TV show, typically charismatic, independent, and self-confident. |
| mid | Used to describe someone or something that’s merely average (as opposed to good), like your manager. |
| slaps | Something that slaps is amazingly good. |
| slay | Used when someone is absolutely killing it, i.e. doing very well. |
| smol | Small and/or adorable. |
| stan | Portmanteau of “stalker” and “fan”. Used by dedicated fans to describe themselves. Can also be used as a verb. |
| sus | Short for “suspicious”. Used when someone or something shouldn’t be trusted. |
| understood the assignment | If someone understood the assignment that means they absolutely nailed something, usually in response to something else. |
| vibing | Chilling. |
| (passes the) vibe check | If someone passes the vibe check, it means they’re cool or chill. |
| yeet | Used when throwing something away (like your project’s master branch). |
Emojis
| Emoji | Used when… |
|---|---|
| 👍 | someone says “okay” without actually meaning it |
| 💀 | someone is dying with laughter; replaces 😂 |
| 🤡 | someone quotes or says something stupid |
| 😭 | showing strong emotions, like laughter and frustration |
| 👀 | someone is paying attention |
| 👁️👄👁️ | someone is shocked or surprised |
| 🔥 | something is lit, i.e. cool or awesome |